Littleneck Clams With Tamarind Tomato Broth Scallion Ginger And Cellophane Noodles Food

STEAMED CLAMS IN SPICY TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Rinse the clams in several changes of water and scrub with a small brush, such as a toothbrush. Discard any that are open or that have cracked shells.
• Place the wine in a large, lidded pan that will accommodate all of the clams (a wok with a lid works well). Bring to a boil and reduce by half. Add the clams, cover and cook over high heat, shaking the pan from time to time, for 2 to 3 minutes, until the clams open. Remove from the heat. Discard any clams that have not opened.
• Set a strainer over a bowl, line with cheesecloth and drain the clams. Set the liquid and the clams aside in separate bowls. You can keep the clams in the shell or remove them, whichever is most convenient for serving (it's prettiest with the clams in the shell).
• Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, wide, lidded skillet or casserole and add the shallots. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 3 minutes, and add the garlic and red pepper flakes or chile de arbol. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds to a minute, and add the tomatoes and juice, the sugar, orange zest, thyme, saffron, and the liquid from the clams. Add salt and pepper to taste, bring to a simmer over medium heat, reduce the heat and simmer 20 to 25 minutes, stirring often, until the mixture has cooked down and is very fragrant. Taste and adjust seasonings.
• Stir the clams into the tomato sauce and heat through, stirring. Add the parsley or cilantro, stir again, and serve in wide soup bowls. Drizzle a little olive oil and a few drops of lemon juice over each serving if you wish

WOLF FISH AND LITTLENECK CLAMS IN ALMOND-TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until lightly browned. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, capers, almonds, basil, thyme, and sugar and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes. (The sauce can be prepared 1 day ahead.)
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Put the almond-tomato sauce in the bottom of an ovenproof casserole dish. Lightly brush wolf fish with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the wolf fish on top of the sauce in the center of the casserole dish, and arrange the clams around the outer edge. Bake uncovered until the wolf fish is cooked through and the clams have opened, about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with smashed potatoes.

CELLOPHANE NOODLE SALAD

Steps:

• Soak the noodles in boiling water and drain. Heat the oil in a pan, and cooking in batches, lightly brown the pork with the five-spice powder. Add the garlic, sugar, prawns, and peanuts. Mix the rest of the ingredients for the dressing. Add the drained noodles and the meat with the prawns and season with a little extra soy and a drizzle of olive oil.

CHICKEN AND RICE NOODLES IN BROTH

Steps:

• In a bowl combine the tablespoon rice vinegar, minced fresh ginger, 1/2 teaspoon salt and teaspoon sesame oil. Marinate the chicken in this mixture for 30 minutes. During this time soak rice noodles in warm water to cover for 10 minutes; drain and set in colander.
• When you are ready to eat combine broth, garlic clove, remaining tablespoon rice vinegar and sesame oil and bring to a boil. Add soaked rice noodles and cook for 5 minutes. Remove garlic clove. Add the marinated chicken to the broth and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes or until just cooked through. Add the spinach and remove from heat when spinach is wilted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle out soup.

STEAMED CLAMS WITH TOMATOES

Steps:

• In a large pot heat oil over medium-high. Add garlic, hot pepper flakes, and oregano and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add tomatoes, increase heat to high, and cook until tomatoes burst, about 4 minutes. Add clams and 3/4 cup water, cover, and cook until clams open, stirring once, 8 to 10 minutes. Discard any unopened clams. Drizzle with oil to serve.

MARK BITTMAN'S PASTA WITH CLAMS

Steps:

• Steam the clams in a covered pot (a glass top is very nice, voyeuristically speaking). You don't need any liquid other than what the clams will release. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it.
• After the clams open - it could take as little as 10 minutes - uncover and cool. Take the meat out and strain and reserve the liquid; make sure to leave any sand behind. Chop the clams if they're big.
• Cook the pasta in the boiling salted water. Put 1/4 cup olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. When the oil is warm, add the red pepper flakes and garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the clams and continue to cook, stirring, for about a minute. Add about 1/2 cup of the reserved clam liquid.
• Drain the pasta when it's nearly done and stir it into the clams. Cook, stirring, until the pasta is tender and the mixture is saucy. Add more clam-cooking liquid (or hot water or white wine), if necessary. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding a little more oil if you like. Garnish, and serve.

LINGUINE AND CLAMS IN GINGER-SOY BROTH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Place 2 large baking sheets in oven to heat. Cut 4 sheets of foil, each about 18 inches long. Place 1 foil sheet on work surface. Arrange 1/4 cup cilantro on 1 half of foil. Top with 1 tablespoon broth, 1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce, 1 1/2 teaspoons ginger, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon jalapeño and 1/2 teaspoon garlic. Arrange 8 clams atop. Fold foil over, enclosing contents completely and crimping edges tightly to seal. Repeat with remaining 3 foil sheets, cilantro, broth, soy sauce, ginger, sesame oil, jalapeño, garlic and clams. Place foil packets on heated baking sheets. Bake until clams open, about 20 minutes (discard any that do not open).
• Divide linguine among 4 bowls. Open 1 foil packet over pasta in each bowl to retain juices. Sprinkle with bell pepper and green onions and serve.

STEAMED LITTLENECK CLAMS

Steps:

• Bring all ingredients to a boil in a large stockpot; reduce heat to a simmer. Cover tightly, and steam 3 to 5 minutes. Carefully remove lid; stir gently with a wooden spoon until clams open, discarding any that stay closed. Serve immediately.

SCOTT URE'S CLAMS AND GARLIC

Steps:

• Wash clams to remove any dirt or sand.
• In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic; saute for 1 minute, or until tender. Pour in the white wine. Boil until wine has reduced to half its original volume.
• Add clams, cover, and steam till clams start to open. Add butter, cover, and cook till most or all of the clams open. Discard any that do not open. Transfer clams and juice to 2 large bowls. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve.