Asari and Tomato Okayu アサリとトマトのお粥仕立て

Okayu (congee or rice porridge) is cooked with large amount of water with uncooked/cooked rice to produce a soft consistency. It is a popular rice dish not only in Japan but in other parts of East and Southeast Asia, including China, Vietnam, and Malaysia. The rice is cooked until it is soft and tender, and the gentle flavor makes it easy to digest and absorb. It has been a part of the Japanese diet, both when people are feeling unwell and as a daily healthy food. The umami of the kombu and asari (short-neck clams) and the acidity of the tomatoes complement each other, making this is a recipe with a rich flavor that will warm your body and soul as you eat it.

生米や炊いたごはんを、多めの水分量で柔らかく煮る「お粥」。日本はもちろん、中国やベトナム、マレーシアなど、東アジアや東南アジアでポピュラーなお米料理です。全体的に優しい味付けで、とろとろに加熱されたお米は咀嚼することで消化吸収も早く、体調不良時はもちろん、日常の「健康食」としても日本人の生活に寄り添ってきました。昆布とアサリの旨みとトマトの酸味がほどよく馴染み、食べ進めるほどに体も心も温まる滋味深いレシピです。

How to cook

The tomatoes are the key. The tomatoes are cut in two different ways and added to the pot at different timing. The tomatoes added when simmering give the soup stock sweetness and depth, while the those added at the finishing stage tighten up the dish while retaining a fresh acidity. The appeal of this dish is that it can be made easily by simply heating up pre-cooked packaged rice in the microwave for a few minutes to make it as fresh as if it had just been cooked. First, enjoy the sweetness of the rice and the fullness of the dashi (broth) as is, then grate some Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese to your liking and enjoy the variation in flavor.

Ingredients For 2 servings

150g （5.2oz）: Packaged rice (cooked rice can also be used)
300g （10.5oz）: Asari (remove sand in advance)
120g （4.2oz）: Tomato
as needed: Seri (Japanese parsley, a perennial plant native to Japan. It is one of the seven herbs in new year and is characterized by its unique bitter taste. Ordinary parsley can be used as a substitute)

A

150ml （5 fl oz）: Water
150ml （5 fl oz）: Sake
3g （0.1oz）: Kombu

B

10ml （0.3 fl oz）: Light soy sauce (dark soy sauce can be substituted)
15ml （0.5 fl oz）: Mirin

Cooking Steps

Approx. 30 minutes

Prepare the ingredients

Remove the stem from the tomato, cut it in half lengthwise, and then roughly slice one half into pieces (a). Dice the other half into 1cm cubes (b).

Prepare the ingredients

Cut the seri into bite-sized pieces (you can eat the roots too, but if you’re bothered by them, cut them off first).

Prepare the asari

Put A and asari with sand removed in a pot and boil over high heat until the shells open. Place the asari in a colander, remove the flesh from the shells, and return the flesh to the pot. This dish can be prepared with the shells remaining if the shells are not a concern.

Simmer the rice and the ingredients

Add warmed packaged rice to the pot in 3 to the thinly sliced tomato (a) in 1 and B and heat again. When this reaches a boil, add the remaining tomato (b) and the seri in 2 and simmer for 1 minute before turning off the heat.