Spiked Clams And Oysters Food

SPIKED CLAMS AND OYSTERS

Steps:

• Preheat a grill to medium-high (if using a charcoal grill, coals are ready when you can hold your hand 5 inches above grill for just 3 to 4 seconds). Pour tequila into a medium cast-iron skillet. Add clams and oysters; tightly cover skillet with foil. Transfer skillet to grill.
• Cook oysters and clams until they open (check frequently after 8 minutes, lifting corner of foil with tongs). Using tongs, transfer clams and oysters, as they open, to serving bowls; continue to cook until all oysters and clams are open, up to 5 minutes more. (Discard any that remain closed.) Serve with chipotle mayonnaise and sauces.

CLAMS IN OYSTER SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pot with a lid over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic in the hot oil until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the ginger to the mixture and cook another 2 minutes. Stir the oyster sauce into the mixture; cover and cook another 2 minutes. Pour the water into the mixture, cover, and cook another 2 minutes. Add the clams; cover and cook until the majority of the clams have opened, about 5 minutes. Discard any clams which do not open. Serve immediately.

FRIED CLAMS AND OYSTERS

Steps:

• Pour enough olive oil into a large, deep, heavy frying pan to reach a depth of 3 inches. Heat the oil over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees F.
• While the oil is heating, put the buttermilk and the bread crumbs in separate shallow bowls. Working in batches, dip clams and oysters in buttermilk to coat completely. Allow the excess buttermilk to drip back in to the bowl. Dredge clams and oysters in the bread crumbs. Place the clams and oysters on a baking sheet, and continue.
• When the oil is hot, fry the clams and oysters in batches, about 3 minutes per batch. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried seafood to paper towels to drain.
• Immediately sprinkle the fried seafood with freshly squeezed lemon and sea salt. Serve with a bowl of warmed spicy marinara or arrabiata sauce for dipping.

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.

CHIPOTLE MAYONNAISE FOR SPIKED CLAMS AND OYSTERS

Steps:

• Process mayonnaise, chipotles, lime juice, cumin, and garlic in a food processor until smooth. Season with salt. If not serving immediately, refrigerate in an airtight container up to 4 days.