Stout Braised Clams With Potato Fennel And Bacon Food

ROASTED POTATOES AND FENNEL

Steps:

• Toss 1 pound halved fingerling potatoes with 1 sliced fennel bulb, 1 sliced white onion, 6 sliced garlic cloves, 8 sage leaves, 3 tablespoons olive oil, and salt and pepper on a baking sheet. Roast at 425 degrees F until golden and crisp, 35 to 40 minutes, tossing halfway through. Season with salt and drizzle with olive oil.

CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• Place a large pot or rondeau on the stove and add 3 cups water. Bring the water to a boil and add the clams. Cook until the clams pop open. Though it is important to stir the clams as they cook, take care because the shells are fragile and break easily. Put the clams in a colander and reserve the cooking liquid. Shell the clams; discard the shells and reserve the clam meat and the liquid separately.
• Add the bacon to another large pot and cook over medium heat until crispy. Drain the bacon with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel, dust with Aleppo pepper and set aside. Add the butter to the bacon fat in the pot and quickly cook the celery, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Remove the celery with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Add the garlic, leeks and onions to the pot and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Cook until the vegetables become tender and translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the vermouth. Continue to cook until almost all of the liquid has evaporated, 8 to 12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in another large pot, combine the cream, thyme, potatoes and bay leaves. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Add a splash of hot sauce and Worcestershire. Stir to blend. Taste for seasoning.
• There is a good chance there will be grit in the clam cooking liquid. Strain it and add it to the onion/leek mixture. Stir to blend. Taste for seasoning. Combine with the potato mixture. Add the clam meat, reserved celery, tarragon and dill. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Add the marsala. Taste for seasoning. Add more cream and water if needed. Top with the bacon just before serving and serve with the Baked Bread.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange the bread on a baking sheet in a single layer. Melt the butter in a small skillet over low heat and add the garlic. Sprinkle with salt and white pepper. Heat gently for 1 minute. Use a pastry brush to coat the bread slices with the butter. Pour any remaining butter into the bottom of the baking sheet. Dust the bread with the paprika and dill seeds. Place the baking sheet in the center of the oven and bake until the slices are browned and crispy, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove and cool for a minute before serving alongside the soup.

POTATO, FENNEL, AND BACON SOUP

Steps:

• Place potatoes into a large pot and cover with salted water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until barely tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place bacon in a deep skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain bacon slices on paper towels and reserve about 2 tablespoons of the drippings in the skillet. Drain potatoes.
• Melt butter in the skillet with the bacon drippings. Add fennel; cook and stir over medium heat until browned, about 12 minutes. Crumble the bacon and add to the pan along with vegetable stock, potatoes, and Chinese five-spice. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer 1 1/2 cups of the soup to a blender. Cover and hold lid down with a potholder; pulse a few times before leaving on to blend. Return to the pot and continue simmering until flavors combine, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Season with five-spice, salt, and pepper.

SPICY CLAMS WITH GARLICKY TOASTS

Steps:

• Set a heavy-bottomed soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. When oil is hot, add scallions and let sizzle for a minute without browning. Add garlic and peppers, stir and let sizzle for 15 seconds.
• Add wine and broth, and turn heat to high. Add clams, and clamp on lid. Cook for 7 or 8 minutes, stirring once or twice, until all clams have opened. Turn off heat and keep pot covered.
• As clams cook, prepare the baguette: Under the broiler, toast the bread cut-side up until it's golden. Rub the cut side of baguette with a peeled garlic clove and and drizzle each of the four pieces with about 1/2 tablespoon olive oil.
• Just before serving, throw parsley, cilantro and basil into the pot and stir well to distribute.
• Ladle clams and broth into big soup bowls. Serve with garlic toasts for sopping and lemon wedges. For a dramatic presentation, set a single long toast atop each bowl.

BRAISED FENNEL AND POTATOES

Steps:

• Chop enough fennel fronds to measure 2 tablespoons, then cut off and discard stalks from bulb. Quarter bulb lengthwise and core, then cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
• Cook fennel, onion, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cut potatoes crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
• Add potatoes and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt to fennel mixture and cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, 3 minutes. Add water and cook, covered, stirring once, until potatoes are tender, 10 to 12 minutes more. Stir in fennel fronds before serving.

STEAMED CLAMS AND LOBSTER WITH SHALLOT BUTTER, CORN, SAUSAGES AND POTATOES

Steps:

• Make clams:
• Divide clams between 2 large pots, pushing clams to one side of each pot. Divide sausages and potatoes between pots, placing both ingredients on the other side of pots. Add 1 cup water, 1/2 tablespoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, then 1/4 cup Shallot Butter to each pot. Cover tightly and cook over high heat until clams open, about 8 minutes (discard any clams that do not open). Remove from heat. Using slotted spoon, transfer clams to large bowl, leaving sausages and potatoes in pots. Ladle some of cooking broth into small serving bowl. Serve clams as appetizer, offering broth alongside.
• Make lobster:
• Cook 3 lobsters at a time in large stockpot of boiling water, about 12 minutes for 1-pound lobsters and 20 minutes for 2-pound lobsters. Transfer lobsters to bowl.
• Meanwhile, set pots with sausages and potatoes over medium heat. Cover and continue to cook until potatoes begin to soften, about 12 minutes. Add corn to pots; cook until vegetables are tender and sausages are cooked through, about 10 minutes longer.
• Using heavy large knife, cut 2-pound lobsters in half lengthwise; keep 1-pound lobsters whole. Place lobsters, sausages, potatoes and corn on large platter. Pour remaining Shallot Butter into small bowl. Pour any broth from pots into another small bowl; serve alongside lobsters.

STOUT-BRAISED CLAMS WITH POTATO, FENNEL, AND BACON

Steps:

• Put a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. When the pot is hot, add the bacon and fry until it gets crispy and renders the fat, roughly 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Add the potatoes to the delicious fat left in the pot. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the potatoes get a little color and start to soften up, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, fennel, garlic, and pepper. Continue to cook until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.
• Raise the heat to high. Toss in the clams and pour in the stout and stock. Give everything a good stir and cover the pot. Steam until the clams open, 5 to 8 minutes, discarding any that do not open. Stir in the butter and sprinkle the reserved fennel fronds on top. Serve the braised clams from the pot, ladling portions at the table.