Miso Mussels in Sake Broth

Miso Mussels in Sake Broth

This ultra savory dish is just as simple as a classic mussels-in-white-wine dish but packs an umami punch. The broth is slurpable without overpowering the flavor of the mussels themselves. And the miso-allium butter you'll make at the start of this dish (before you add mussels & sake) is delicious on many things, including the toast recommended here, but you can also try it with clams or on roasted oysters.

Ingredients

• 4 pounds of mussels, rinsed and de-bearded
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp
• ¼ cup white miso paste
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 large shallot, finely chopped
• 3 green onions, sliced, with white stems and green leaves separated
• 2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
• 2 cups dry sake
• Cracked black pepper (to taste)
• 4 slices shokupan bread (or another light, white bread)
• 1 Tbsp furikake flakes

Procedure

1. In a small bowl, mix the butter and miso paste together with your hands until the two are completely combined. 
2. Melt 6 Tbsp of the miso butter over medium heat in a Dutch oven.
3. Add the garlic, shallots, and white ends of green onions and melt fragrant and translucent (about 4 minutes). 
4. Add grated ginger and cook for another 2 minutes. 
5. Decrease heat to medium-low and add mussels. Pour in the sake and stir. Cover and cook the mussels for 4 minutes. 
6. Stir once more and continue cooking for up to 3 minutes longer for any other mussels whose shells haven’t opened.
7. Pick out any mussels that remained shut and discard them (there’s always about 2-3 per bag and it’s totally normal and even expected). 
8. Divvy up the mussels amongst four bowls and pour the sake broth over the top.
9. Garnish the bowls with half of the scallion greens and serve with miso toasts to soak up the flavorful broth.

Miso Toasts

Preheat your oven to broil and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Butter one side of the bread slices with remaining miso butter and sprinkle with furikake flakes. Broil in the oven for 5 minutes or until the toast turns golden. Garnish with remaining scallion tops, cut in half, and serve!