What's the closest replacement for clam juice?
I've been searching all over the stores in my area for clam juice so I can make some gumbo or clam chowder, and can't find a single can of it anywhere.
What's the closest replacement to clam juice that would keep roughly the same flavor?
Best Answer
Cook's Thesaurus recommends fish stock or 50:50 chicken stock & water.
As I don't tend to make fish stock, I'd probably either use shrimp stock (take the shells and heads, simmer in water for about an hour), or crab stock (just use the shells, and maybe the smaller legs if you didn't extract the meat from them)
If you can find it, some stores will carry 'seafood bullion' or 'shrimp bullion'. As they tend to be salty, I'd probably only use them at half strength, like the recommendation for substituting chicken stock.
In a real pinch, you might be able to use water + fish sauce, but I have no idea what the proportions would be. (I'd probably compare sodium levels, and try to match that. So 1400mg/TB vs. 120-280mg/2oz ... so averages 800mg/cup, so about 1.5tsp fish sauce + water to replace a cup of clam juice).
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What can I use to substitute clam juice?
For recipes that need more flavor, such as a white pasta sauce, or to make a dish for someone who has a seafood allergy, equal parts of chicken broth and water substitute for clam juice. A low-sodium chicken broth is a healthy option for cutting down on salt in the dish.Is clam juice like fish sauce?
Just like a few drops of Asian fish sauce can make a umami-rich bread magnet out of even the wimpiest pasta sauce; clam juice does the same job while packing a much less piquant punch.Can I make my own clam juice?
To make Clam Juice, clams are shucked, then briefly steamed. The steaming water becomes a broth. It is strained to get any grit or sediment out, then bottled. Most brands add no artificial preservatives, just salt.What does clam juice taste like?
It doesn't taste fishy or tinny or dirty\u2014it tastes like pure concentrate of ocean, and it comes in the cutest little glass bottle adorned with a picture of a sailboat. Clam juice, which is actually not the "juice" of clams but the byproduct of steaming whole clams, is super briny, so a little goes a long way.what. (Bo Burnham FULL SHOW HD)
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Answer 2
Most likely a fish stock will do.
But you can also just make it yourself if you want, and have the ingredients (i.e.: clams) available to you: As far as I know, it's just the strained liquid (to remove sand and other particles) from steamed or cooked clams, without the flesh of the clams.
Buy yourself some clams (about a kilogram a person, unshelled1), prepare them, remove clams, safe liquid, eat clams that night, eat gumbo the next :)
1The amount given is for mussels, you may need more or less for clams, but I would guess it's about the same
Answer 3
This is not an alternative ingredient, but an alternative product to buy to get the ingredient.
Minced clams
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