Soybean Paste Soup with Spinach and Clams (Sigeumchi-jogae-doenjangguk)

I usually make the broth for doenjangguk with dried anchovies, as in the recipe for Soybean Paste Stew with Dried Anchovies, but when I find good-quality clams and spinach at the market, I make this version of the soup, which is a Korean classic. With the combination of soybean paste and the shellfish, the dish tastes like the sea and the earth all at once

SERVES: 4

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 12 littleneck clams, scrubbed
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 4 ounces beef brisket, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 7 cups water
• ¼ cup fermented soybean paste (doenjang)
• 1 tablespoon Korean hot pepper paste (gochujang)
• 1 (10-ounce) bunch spinach, washed and drained
• 1 green Korean chili pepper (cheong-gochu), stemmed and chopped
• 1 red Korean chili pepper (hong-gochu), stemmed and chopped

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Put the salt in a bowl of cold water (about 4 cups). Stir to dissolve. Add the clams and stir well. Let sit for a few hours in the refrigerator so that the clams spit out any grit. Drain and rinse the clams.
2. Combine the sesame oil, beef, and garlic in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, for a few minutes, until the beef loses its pink color and the garlic is fragrant.
3. Add the water to the pot, cover, and cook over medium-high heat for 25 minutes.
4. Stir the soybean paste and hot pepper paste into the boiling beef stock, then add the spinach and clams, cover, and cook for 10 minutes. Add the chili peppers and cook for another 5 minutes.
5. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.