Get The Sand Out!: The Ocean Stew

Ocean.  Waves, salty water, sand, surfboards, ocean smells, sunset…I love the ocean.  I like lakes, rivers, mountains but I love the ocean.  The ocean and I have a very personal relationship.  It’s deep.  Ocean produce seafood, especially shellfish…my love.  There’s only one downside of shellfish.  Picture this; you have this gorgeously prepared plate with all types of fish and shellfish.  Your favorite is clam and you dive into it.  Then, as you’re biting into it, this hard, weird, most unpleasant texture you’ve ever experienced.  Sand.

My mom grew up in Shizuoka prefecture which is located about 2-3 hour drive from Tokyo near Mount Fuji and beautiful pacific ocean.  My grandma and mom moved to Tokyo 15 years after the World War II ended but they never forg0t how great the seafood was in Shizuoka.  They taught me how to gut and filet the fish, how to clean and prepare fish and shellfish.  One particular lesson I am so appreciative having been taught is to soak clams in salt water and for (at least) a couple of hours.  You make the salt water bath the same concentration as sea water, then soak your clams for couple of hours.  Then you will see them become very active and start spitting sands out so you don’t have to take that super annoying first bite of clam sands.  Thanks, grandma!

This was nice and easy seafood stew that I made.

Heat cast iron pot, add olive oil and garlic.  Brown your fish (I used red bream) with high heat.  Lower the heat to medium-low, then add white wine and 1 small can of tomato leave it for a few minutes then add squids and clams.  Cook them for another few minutes then add oysters.  Don’t overcook oysters, turn off the heat just about when the oysters get plump.

Please go ahead, enjoy the Ocean Stew with sand-less clam