Haemul Yuksu (Korean Seafood Stock)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Wide 4-quart pot
• •Large bowl for purging clams
• •Fine sieve
• •Cheesecloth or clean cotton cloth
• •Shallow skimming spoon

Instructions

1. 1

   Purge the clams

   Stir 2 tablespoons coarse sea salt into 6 cups cold water until dissolved. Add the clams, cover the bowl loosely, and let them sit 30 minutes in the refrigerator so they spit out sand. Scrub the shells under running water afterward. Grit in stock cannot be repaired, so this is not the corner to cut.

   Discard any clam with a cracked shell, any clam that smells sour, and any open clam that does not close when tapped.
2. 2

   Start cold

   Put 8 cups cold water, the kelp, dried shrimp, radish, onion, scallion whites, garlic, and ginger into a wide pot. Let it stand 15 minutes before heating. Cold water draws out sweetness from the kelp and dried shrimp more gently than dropping them into boiling water.

3. 3

   Warm the base

   Set the pot over medium heat and bring it slowly toward a simmer, about 10 minutes. Pull out the kelp as soon as small bubbles gather at the edge, before the water boils. Kelp gives body and sea-sweetness, but boiled too hard it turns the broth slick and bitter.

4. 4

   Simmer gently

   Lower the heat and simmer the radish, aromatics, and dried shrimp for 12 minutes. Skim the pale foam as it rises, using a shallow spoon. Keep the surface moving lightly, not rolling. A hard boil breaks the dried shrimp into harshness and makes the stock cloudy.

5. 5

   Add the clams

   Add the purged clams and the cheongju or soju if using. Simmer gently 4 to 6 minutes, just until the shells open. Lift each clam out as it opens so the meat does not toughen and the liquor stays clean. Discard any clam that remains closed after 8 minutes.

6. 6

   Strain clear

   Turn off the heat and let the stock settle for 5 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve lined with damp cheesecloth or a clean cotton cloth, stopping before the last sandy spoonful at the bottom of the pot. Do not press hard on the solids. Pressing gives you a few extra drops and a duller broth.

7. 7

   Use or store

   Taste the stock but do not salt it now unless you are serving it as broth. It should be bright and briny, with the radish sweetness underneath. Cool quickly, refrigerate up to 3 days, or freeze in 2-cup portions for jjigae, kalguksu, mandu-guk, or seafood jeongol.

Chef Tips

• •Buy clams that smell clean and mineral, never sour. In spring and autumn, when shellfish are especially good, let the clams lead the stock. In a poor market month, use more dried shrimp and radish and save the clams for another dish.
• •Do not salt the finished stock unless you are drinking it plain. Jjigae will bring doenjang, gochujang, saeujeot, or soy sauce later, and salted stock can make the final pot too sharp.
• •The safe shortcut is freezing the strained stock in 2-cup containers. The unsafe shortcut is skipping the clam purge. Write it down. Memory is a borrowed bowl.

Advance Preparation

• •Make the stock up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate it in a covered container. Chill it quickly in shallow containers before storing.
• •Freeze in 2-cup portions for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, or warm gently from frozen in a covered pot.
• •Purged, scrubbed clams should be cooked the same day. Do not seal live clams in an airtight container.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 240g)