Spicy and Sweet Clam and Vegetable Salad
A Clam and Vegetable Salad So Delicious, It’ll Make Whelk Salad Jealous!
Clams are in season right now, and they are simply delicious when steamed and topped with a savory sauce. Today, we’re taking those steamed clams and combining them with a variety of fresh vegetables to create a vibrant, sweet, and tangy clam and vegetable salad. Perhaps it’s because we’re using live clams, but the flavor is so incredible, it’ll make any canned whelk salad seem dull in comparison! Source: http://hls3790.tistory.com/1050?category=204690 [Kim Jin-ok’s Cooking is Good]
For the Clams- 1kg live clams
Vegetables- 1/2 cucumber
- 5 stalks of Korean parsley (minari)
- 6 perilla leaves (kkaennip)
- 1 white part of a large green onion
- 1/2 onion
- 2 Korean green chili peppers (cheongyang peppers)
- 1/2 cucumber
- 5 stalks of Korean parsley (minari)
- 6 perilla leaves (kkaennip)
- 1 white part of a large green onion
- 1/2 onion
- 2 Korean green chili peppers (cheongyang peppers)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
1. Purging and Washing the Clams: First, put on rubber gloves to protect your hands. Scrub the live clams thoroughly under cold running water 3-4 times to remove any dirt or grit. Once clean, place the clams in a bowl with lightly salted water (about 1 Tbsp of salt dissolved in water) and let them soak for 30 minutes to 1 hour to purge any sand or impurities.
2. Blanching the Clams: Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the cleaned clams to the boiling water. Once the clam shells start to open, let them cook for just about 1 more minute. Immediately remove them from the boiling water and rinse them under cold running water. This step is crucial to prevent the clams from becoming tough and rubbery. Source: http://hls3790.tistory.com/1050?category=204690 [Kim Jin-ok’s Cooking is Good]
Step 2
3. Removing Clam Meat and Chilling: After rinsing the blanched clams in cold water, carefully pry open the shells and extract the clam meat. You should have about 200g of clam meat. Place the extracted clam meat in the refrigerator to chill thoroughly. Serving the clam salad with cold clam meat is key to its deliciousness. If you find it difficult to open the shells, try inserting a spoon into the back hinge and twisting gently to pop it open.
Step 3
4. Preparing the Vegetables: Thinly slice the half cucumber on a bias. Slice the white part of the large green onion into thin strips. Cut the Korean parsley into 3cm lengths. Slice the Korean green chili peppers diagonally. Finely julienne the onion. Roughly julienne the perilla leaves. Preparing all vegetables to a similar size will ensure a consistent texture and flavor in the salad.
Step 4
5. Making the Dressing and Assembling: In a mixing bowl, combine the gochujang (3 Tbsp), gochugaru (3 Tbsp), minced garlic (2/3 Tbsp), soy sauce (1 Tbsp), oligodang (2.5 Tbsp or corn syrup), sesame oil (2/3 Tbsp), sesame seeds (1 Tbsp), and vinegar (2.5 to 3 Tbsp – use 3x stronger vinegar if you prefer a tangier taste). Mix these ingredients well to create a flavorful dressing. Add the chilled clam meat and the prepared vegetables to the dressing. Gently toss everything together until well combined. Your delicious spicy and sweet clam and vegetable salad is ready! Tip: For an extra special meal, serve this salad over boiled somen noodles and mix well.
