In Okayama, Japan where I am from, a type of clam called ‘Mogai’ cooked in Mirin, Sugar and Soy Sauce is a traditional local dish and it is essential for the New Year celebration. I sometimes miss the dish.
Sadly clams are not commonly consumed in Melbourne and hard to find or quite pricey, however mussels are popular and cheap. I wondered if mussels can be cooked like ‘Mogai’ and I tried. Wow!!! This dish certainly looks different from the dish of ‘Mogai’ that I miss, but tastes surprisingly good.

Ingredients

500g Frozen Shelled Mussel Meat *smaller pieces are more suitable
1/4 cup Sake (Rice Wine)
1/4 cup Mirin
1 tablespoon Sugar
2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
1 thumb-size piece Ginger *sliced into thin strips

Method
  1. Place Sake, Mirin, Sugar, Soy Sauce and thinly sliced Ginger in a large saucepan and heat to boil.
  2. Add frozen shelled Mussels and cook uncovered over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until the sauce is almost gone. While cooking, remove scum and black bits if come to the surface.
  3. Enjoy with freshly cooked Japanese short grain rice.