Clam Stew With Potatoes And Parsley Purée Food

CLAM STEW WITH POTATOES AND PARSLEY PURéE

Steps:

• Wash the clams well, in several changes of water, until the water contains no traces of sand. Put in a wide, deep skillet or a saucepan along with potatoes, wine and parsley stems. Cover, and turn heat to high.
• While clams and potatoes cook, combine parsley leaves and thin stems in a blender with garlic and oil. Blend, adding water as necessary to make a smooth purée (it will take 1/2 cup or more). Add salt to taste, and transfer to a bowl.
• Cook clam-potato mixture until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Remove and discard thick stems, then stir half the purée into clams and serve, passing the rest at table.

CLAM AND OYSTER CHOWDER

Steps:

• Wash leeks well in a bowl of cold water, then lift out and drain well.
• Bring 1 cup fresh water to a boil in a 5-quart heavy pot, then add clams and cook over moderately high heat, covered, until clams are fully open, checking every minute after 5 minutes and transferring clams with a slotted spoon to a bowl as they fully open. (Discard any clams that have not opened after 8 minutes.) Pour cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into another bowl.
• Remove cooked clams from shells, discarding shells. Coarsely chop clams and transfer to a bowl, then coarsely chop raw oysters and transfer to another bowl. Pour reserved oyster liquor through sieve into bowl with clam cooking liquid.
• Cook bacon in cleaned pot over moderate heat, stirring, until crisp, about 6 minutes, then transfer bacon with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Add butter to pot and when foam subsides, cook onion, leeks, celery, and bay leaf, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, 12 to 15 minutes.
• While vegetables are cooking, peel potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Add wine to softened vegetables and boil until reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes. Add potatoes, clam cooking liquid, and bottled clam juice. (If potatoes aren't fully covered with liquid, add more clam juice or water.) Simmer, covered, until potatoes are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Purée 2 cups soup in a blender until very smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids) and return to pot. Add cream, salt, pepper, Old Bay, and cayenne and cook at a bare simmer, stirring, until soup is heated through (do not let boil). Add clams and oysters and cook, stirring, just until oyster pieces begin to curl, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and discard bay leaf, then stir in parsley. Serve topped with crumbled bacon.

CLAM PASTA WITH BASIL AND HOT PEPPER

Steps:

• Make the purée: Grind basil and parsley together in a food processor. (Alternatively, hand chop herbs or pound them in a mortar.) Add garlic paste and 1/4 cup olive oil and pulse to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rapid boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions, taking care to keep pasta quite al dente. It's best to use a timer, and drain pasta as soon as it's done.
• While pasta is cooking, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy-bottomed wide pot with a lid over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic, fennel seed if using and pepperoncino, and let sizzle without browning, about 1 minute. Add clams, stirring to coat with a wooden spoon. Raise heat to high, add wine and put on the lid. Cook, covered, until all clams have opened, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn off heat. (Discard any clams that fail to open.)
• Add cooked pasta and basil purée to pot and toss gently to combine. Transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with basil leaves and lemon wedges.

CLAM STEW WITH POTATOES AND PARSLEY PUREE

Steps:

• Wash the clams well, in several changes of water, until the water contains no traces of sand. (You can wash the clams hours or even a day in advance; keep them in a large bowl or colander set over a bowl, uncovered, in the refrigerator.) Put them in a wide, deep skillet or saucepan along with the potatoes, wine, and thick parsley stems. Cover and turn the heat to high.
• While the clams and potatoes are cooking, combine the parsley leaves and thin stems in a blender with the garlic and oil. Puree, adding water as necessary (it will be 1/2 cup or more) to make a smooth puree. Add salt to taste and transfer to a bowl.
• Cook the clam-potato mixture until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Remove the bundle of thick stems, then stir about half the puree into the mixture and serve, passing the rest at the table.

SOMERSET STEW WITH CHEDDAR & PARSLEY MASH

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large pan and fry the onion, garlic, carrot and leek until soft but not coloured. Add the tomato purée, chopped tomatoes, butter beans, flageolet beans, cider, stock and thyme and simmer for 15-20 mins until the stew has thickened and the veg are tender.
• Meanwhile, if you're adding sausages to any portion, snip each sausage into 3-4 chunks. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and brown the chunks for 5 mins, then stir in appropriate portions of the stew and gently simmer for the remaining cooking time. Serve with the mash.

LITTLENECK CLAMS WITH NEW POTATOES AND SPRING ONIONS

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add chorizo and cook, stirring often, until some fat has rendered and chorizo begins to crisp, about 4 minutes.
• Add potatoes, spring onion whites, and garlic. Cook, tossing often, until potatoes are crisp-tender, 10-12 minutes. Add wine and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add 2 1/2 cups water and continue to cook until potatoes are just tender, 5-8 minutes longer.
• Add clams and half of onion greens, cover pot, and cook, stirring occasionally, until clams have opened, 8-10 minutes (discard any clams that do not open).
• Divide clam mixture among bowls. Top with remaining onion greens and serve with toast.

CLAM CHOWDER / STEW

Steps:

• Fry bacon in a large Dutch oven until crisp, remove with slotted spoon and set aside.
• Add onion to pot, saute until softened, then add potatoes and chicken stock.
• Season with salt and cayenne, cover and cook for 15 minutes.
• In a second large saucepan, melt butter, whisk in flour, whisking to make a roux.
• Cook for 1 minute, then add cream and milk while whisking.
• Cook over low heat until thickened.
• Pour into onion and potato mixture, add clams, 2 cans undrained, add clams only, from the other cans reserving the juice.
• Add Worcestershire and bacon.
• Add the other 2 cans of reserved juice a bit at a time to reach desired consistency and only if you want the soup less thick.
• Stir and gently cook over moderate heat until heated through.
• Transfer to soup tureen and garnish with parsley and paprika if using.

STEAMED CLAMS WITH GARLIC-PARSLEY BUTTER AND LEEKS

Steps:

• Make the garlic butter: Combine butter, parsley and garlic in a food processor. Whiz until bright green and well incorporated, about 1 minute. Season lightly with salt and pepper. (You may make the garlic butter in advance and refrigerate it for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 2 weeks, but it tastes best freshly made.)
• Set a wide, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add olive oil and swirl to coat. Add leeks, stir to coat, and cook for 30 seconds, then add clams and wine.
• Turn heat to high, cover and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, until all clams have opened. With a slotted spoon or tongs, transfer clams to individual bowls.
• In the same skillet, over medium heat, add lime zest, lime juice and butter, and let simmer briefly, about 30 seconds, until warmed through. Pour sauce over clams, garnish with lime wedges and serve.

SPICY CLAM PASTA WITH BACON, PEAS AND BASIL

Steps:

• Put basil, parsley and garlic in a mortar or food processor. Add salt and pepper to taste and 1/4 cup oil. Pound or whiz to obtain a bright green purée.
• Put a pot of water on to boil and make it very salty. (It will boil faster with the lid on.)
• Over medium heat, render bacon in its own fat until browned and crisp but not hard, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Pour off fat but leave a small amount in the pan, just to coat the bottom.
• Increase heat to medium-high, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, the clams, serrano chile and red pepper. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes, stirring and coating clams well. Add peas and warm through, then turn off heat.
• Boil pasta and cook until slightly underdone. Drain pasta and add to pan with clams. Turn heat to medium-high and stir all together. Add a splash of pasta water, if it seems dry. Add basil purée and toss well. Top with bacon and reserved basil leaves. Pass lemon wedges.

CATALAN STEW WITH LOBSTER AND CLAMS

Steps:

• Boil or steam lobsters for 10 minutes, then rinse with cool water. Crack shells, remove meat and cut into large chunks. Put shells in a large pot, cover with 10 cups water and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Strain, reserve broth and discard shells.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place almonds and hazelnuts on a baking sheet and roast until fairly dark, about 12 to 15 minutes. Rub skins from hazelnuts; discard skins.
• Place a large, wide heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat and add olive oil to depth of 1/4 inch. When oil is hot, fry bread slices slowly on both sides until crisp and golden, 5 to 6 minutes, adjusting heat if bread is browning too quickly. Remove bread, drain on paper towel and cut into rough 1/2-inch cubes; set aside. Pour off all but about 4 tablespoons oil (Save excess oil for another purpose.) Add onion to pot, season with salt and pepper and cook until onion is softened and lightly colored, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, put dried ñora or ancho chiles in a small pot of water and simmer for about 15 minutes, until softened, then drain, discarding water.
• Put almonds, hazelnuts, fried bread, garlic, dried chiles, Fresno chiles, piquillo peppers and pimentón in a large mortar and pound to a rough paste. (You may use a food processor instead.)
• Add chile mixture to softened onions and cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomato purée and wine and simmer until mixture has dried out a bit. Add 8 cups lobster broth and simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Taste for salt and adjust seasoning. If too thick, add a little more broth. (May be prepared up to this point several hours ahead.)
• To serve, bring to a brisk simmer and add clams. When clams begin to open, add lobster meat and cook 5 minutes more. Stir in parsley and ladle the stew into 4 to 6 large soup bowls.