THIS IS A DISH I once had at Idle Wylde, the home of Foraged and Found Edibles proprietor Jeremy Faber. In typical fashion, he didn’t even remember making it when, later, I asked for the recipe. I reminded him it included manila clams, matsutake, and leeks.
“Makes sense,” he said, “matsi and shellfish go together.” So I made my own version and the result was equally good.
1/2 lb matsutake mushrooms (or more), sliced
1 lb littleneck clams in the shell, scrubbed
1 lb mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded
2 leeks, white part only, sliced
1 tbsp peanut oil
1 cup sake
1 cup chicken stock
1 scallion, thinly sliced for garnish
1. Saute sliced leeks in peanut oil in heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, 2 minutes.
2. Add matsutake and cook together another couple minutes, stirring occasionally. Add sake and chicken stock and allow to simmer together a few minutes so the broth absorbs the singular matsi flavor.
3. Raise heat to high, add shellfish, and cover. Remove from heat when the clams and mussels have opened, careful not to overcook. Ladle into bowls and garnish with sliced scallion.
Serves 2 for dinner, or 4 as an appetizer.