Here are some facts about clams:
- They are delicious! While they steam they emit this stunningly tasty broth. Look into it.
- They are cheap, esp. for seafood! $5/lb is the price for Manila clams down at the Berkeley Bowl, and that is definitely enough to feed two people.
- When you buy them… they are STILL ALIVE. Creepy, eh?
This is a very simple and traditional way to prepare them, and the most expensive part is the bottle of wine, of which only about 1/2 cup goes into the cooking… so you get to drink the remainder with dinner! Serves you + 1 fly honey.
Linguini with clams (basic)
- 1 lb small clams, such as Manilla or Littleneck (this should be about 2 dozen and a bit)
- fat (butter or oil), about 3-4 tablespoons
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small shallot (or 1/4 of a mild-tasting onion), minced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine (Kendall Jackson’s sauvignon blanc is a very good choice here and it’s inexpensive too)
- 2 tomatoes, peeled, cored, seeded, and diced
- 1/2 lb linguini
Melt the fat in a large pot on medium, add the minced garlic and shallot and sauté until fragrant and beginning to soften (about 2 minutes). Add the clams to the pot, the wine, and about half the diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then cover and let steam until the clams open (about 5-8 minutes). Meanwhile, cook the linguini to your desired specifications. Remove clams to a bowl (discarding any that do not open… that means they were dead when you got them :/) and cover with foil. Drain the linguini and throw it in the pot, which should have a nice thin layer of broth at the bottom. Throw in the remaining tomato and toss it all together over medium heat for a few beats. Serve the linguini with clams on top (either you can remove them from their shells or the diner can… your choice!) immediately.
This recipe of course begs for additions and variation. I was planning on tossing some arugula in as well, but my stock had gone extra-bitter so I decided against it. I also added some grated chestnuts as an experiment, but I do not recommend this, as chestnuts are a pain in the ass to prepare and they didn’t add much to the dish.
For dessert, Lisa (my guinea pig) and I had little individual bread puddings. I used the spiced poaching liquid from my last post, then combined that with 2 lightly beaten eggs. The loaf of good sliced white bread I had bought on Thursday was just starting to stale, and so I de-crusted and cubed three slices of that, soaked it in the egg mixture, and then baked it in two ramekins at 350˚F for about half an hour (you want the pudding to set, but aside from that the cooking time is really up to you). Voilà: stress-free dessert!