Doenjang Jjigae: Korean Soybean Paste Stew with Tofu, Courgette and Potato

Finish. For the Stock: in a mid-sized saucepan, mix rice-rinsing water (or water) using anchovies plus dashima plus bring to a low simmer. Cover the saucepan halfway using a lid plus maintain low simmer for a period of 15 minutes. Taste an anchovy; if it still has one noticeable amount of flavor left in it, keep simmering till most of this flavor has been cooked out. Strain, discarding solids. For the Stew: Fill a big bowl with cold water and mix in enough salt in order to make it salty like the sea while that is happening. Add clams and leave to stand 30 minutes. Lift clams off water plus discard purging water; if there is sand in this bottom of the bowl, rinse it out plus do the same again till clams no longer release sand in the water (usually 2 to 3 purging cycles). Tip off the liquid clams, discarding any that are gaping open plus refuse to close when prodded. Cover mushrooms using boiling water and let steep till rehydrated, around 10 minutes in a little heatproof bowl. Tip off the liquid, next slice mushroom caps 5–6 mm thick. Add stock to a big saucepan or earthenware pot. Bring to the boil. Tip in mushrooms, summer squash, onion, scallion, plus wild chives (if using). Return to a boil plus heat till the vegetables are starting to become tender, around 5 minutes. Tip in garlic plus doenjang (try dissolving this doenjang through a sieve to prevent lumps off forming). Simmer for 2 minutes longer, next add clams. Cook till clams start to pop open. Tip in red and green chiles and keep cooking till all this clams are open. Taste the broth, plus tip in joseon ganjang, if wanted, to increase the savory, salty flavor. Offer doenjang jjigae hot, using sides of rice and kimchi.