Jaecheop-guk (Korean Marsh Clam Clear Soup)
Crystal-clear broth, impossibly deep flavor - jaecheop-guk is Korea's prized marsh clam soup, a Hadong specialty worth traveling for. Tiny freshwater clams from the Seomjin River are purged in salted water, then simmered until they open and release their concentrated liquor into the broth. The result is a translucent soup with a remarkably clean umami - far more intense than the small size of the clams would suggest. Chopped chives are added at the end, their sharp green flavor lifting the broth with a bright finish. Soup soy sauce and garlic provide restrained seasoning. The soup has a long-standing reputation in Korea as one of the best hangover remedies, and in Hadong it is served in restaurants that specialize in nothing else, drawing visitors specifically for this one bowl.
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Instructions
- 1
Soak the clams in salted water for 20 minutes, then rinse well several times.
- 2
Bring water to a boil, add clams, and cook until they open.
- 3
Skim foam from the surface to keep the broth clear.
- 4
Add minced garlic and soup soy sauce, then simmer for 3 minutes.
- 5
Add chives just before turning off the heat and season with salt.
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