One Pot Clam Bake

  Here's a dish that I've been wanting to share for quite a long time! I was going to post it last summer (since this is clearly a summer dish), but I had quite a lot going on at that time and before I knew it, the season got away from me. Luckily I was able to get my act together in time to post it this year!
 Ok so lets get  to it! The first time I made this was once upon a long long time ago... like, literally decades ago... and it was SO delicious! But when I went to do it again, I swear I could not remember what recipe I used. All I knew was that it had clams, potatoes, and corn on the cob... and that the sauce had white wine, butter, and garlic.  Sounds good, right? But I had no clue what I did or where I got it. So I did some googling, and finally decided that THIS recipe came closest to what I remembered doing that one time all those years ago. It's from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food, and it's absolutely delish! Not only that, it's really super easy to do. Wait, it's not even super easy... it's STUPID EASY to do. I'm not even kidding. You literally just keep adding things to the pot, and in less than a half hour, boom, dinner's ready! Make it for friends and you'll impress the hell out of everyone. (No one needs to know how easy it was!) Serve it with the rest of the bottle of white wine, (or 2 or 3 bottles LOL) and it's a "summer by the shore" party! Oh, and don't forget the crusty bread for dipping into the sauce. That's key! I'm definitely putting this one on my summer menu and I think you should too! This one's a keeper!

1 1/4 cups dry white wine 

6 cloves garlic, peeled  

2 large shallots, quartered and peeled (root end left intact) 

1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes  

1/2 tsp Red-pepper flakes (optional) 

6 ears corn, shucked and halved  

5 dozen clams, cleaned*

2 lemons, quartered 

1 pound shell-on extra-jumbo shrimp (16 to 20)  

4 tablespoons unsalted butter 

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley  

2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano leaves 



  In a 12-quart stockpot, bring wine and 3/4 cup water to a boil. Add garlic, shallots, potatoes, and 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, if using; cover and cook 8 minutes. Add corn, clams, and lemons; cover and cook until clams have opened, 10 to 12 minutes. Add shrimp in a single layer, cover, turn off heat, and let sit until shrimp are opaque throughout, about 3 minutes.
 With tongs or a spider, transfer shellfish and vegetables to a serving platter, setting lemons aside; discard any unopened clams. Pour broth into a bowl and whisk in butter, parsley, and oregano. Scrape flesh from half the lemons into broth, discarding skins. Serve shellfish and vegetables with remaining lemons and broth for dipping.



*Joey's tips for cleaning clams:
First, inspect the clams and remove any that have broken shells. If any are slightly open, give them a little tap. If they don't close immediately, then toss them too. Now place all of the clams in a large bowl of cold water. Let them sit for about a half hour. This will encourage the clams to expel any sand. I've heard that sprinkling a little corn meal into the water will help to facilitate that process. When they're finished soaking, you want to lift them out of the water with your hands or tongs. Don't just dump them out into a strainer because then all of the sand that is at the bottom of the bowl will just pour back on top of the clams again. I usually give them a good scrub with a brush as I'm removing them from the bowl. Rinse the bowl of any sand or grit, and then place the clams back in the bowl for one more final rinse. Now you're ready to proceed with the recipe!



Tips:
I always prefer using fresh herbs over dried, but you can use dried oregano if you don't have fresh. Just use about a teaspoon, since dried is much stronger than fresh. But definitely do NOT use dried parsley. It just doesn't compare to fresh.
I think maybe the next time I make this, I'll pull back a little on the lemon and oregano, and add a little more butter.  Just sayin!
If you like it a little spicy, add more crushed red pepper flakes! You do you!
Also, I used peeled and deveined shrimp, but just left the tails on so you have a little handle to pick them up. I just found it to be easier and more preferable!

New England Clam Chowder

 This is one of those recipes that I thought I posted long ago, and then when I went looking for it, I thought, wait....did I ever post that??? Nope, I didn't! So here it is now. It's not complicated, it's creamy and comforting, and it's ready in about a half hour. Yes, yes, I'm sure there are much more sophisticated recipes that involve fresh clams, etc, but this one works just fine for me. It's the perfect thing for a crisp autumn night. Serve it with buttered fresh bakery rolls and you're good to go. You don't even need anything else, except maybe a crisp salad. SO delicious and warm and flavorful, and easy enough for the cooking novice.
You should try it!

4 slices super thick bacon, diced

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

1 1/2 cups water

4 cups peeled and cubed potatoes

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

ground black pepper to taste

3 cups half-and-half

4 tablespoons butter

2 (10 ounce) cans minced clams

Place diced bacon in large stock pot over medium-high heat. Cook until almost crisp; add onions, and cook 5 minutes. Stir in water and potatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, and cook uncovered for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender. Pour in half-and-half, and add butter. Drain clams, reserving clam liquid; stir clams and 1 cup of the clam liquid into the soup. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until heated through. Do not allow to boil. Tip: If you'd like it to be very thick, just let some of the water evaporate before you add the half and half. You could also add a little bit of heavy cream.

Steamed Clams in White Wine Sauce

Now that the weather is becoming cooler, you'd think I'd be looking forward to lots of hearty soups and stews, but frankly, I'm just not quite ready to let go of summer just yet. So, I decided to do a pot of steamers. It was JUST the thing for a sunny breezy Sunday afternoon.
 It's ready in a snap, it's super easy, and OMG it's SO delicious! Be sure to serve it with some nice warm crusty bread for sopping up the rich flavorful broth. It's heaven in a bowl! And your friends will think you went to a LOT of trouble when they taste this one. So, give it a try, and have a taste of summer no matter how cold it is outside!

4 tbs butter
4 larges cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 shallots (or one small onion), finely minced
1/2 cup dry white wine or dry Vermouth
2 pounds of clams (Littlenecks or Manilla), rinsed and cleaned
 2-3 tbs fresh parsley, chopped
1 or 2 pinches crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 small lemon cut into wedges (optional)

Melt butter in a medium pot over medium-low heat. Add shallots and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes until shallots are soft and garlic is fragrant but not burned. Add wine and increase heat to medium-high until wine is brought to a simmering boil. Add clams and cook covered for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until clams have opened. Discard any clams that are still closed. Add parsley and pepper flakes (if using) and give the pot a quick stir. Transfer clams and broth to a large serving bowl, serving with lemon wedges on the side.

Tips:
-Before you start, make sure you really clean the clams. Since the shells will be cooking right in the broth, you really need to scrub each one on all sides with a scrub brush under cold running water. Yes, I know it's a little tedious, but it's SO worth it! And seriously, it's better than having sand in your bowl. Also, if any of the clams are open, give them a little tap with your finger. If they don't close right up, that means game over and you need to discard them.
-Btw, the ingredient amounts are just guidelines. If you like more butter, go for it. If you like tons of garlic, have at it. If you'd like a little less onion, no worries. It's whatever you like!
-And remember to always use a wine that you would drink, and never ever use anything labeled "cooking wine".  It's basically laden with sodium and food coloring and is not very good, especially in a dish where wine is one of the main components of the recipe.

Joey's Favorite Linguine with Clam Sauce

OK, I know I say every recipe is delicious, but seriously, this one is AMAZINGLY tasty. It's another one of those "just throw everything in a pan" sauces. How easy is that? You MUST try it!

1 lb linguine
olive oil
4 or 5 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium onion, diced
2 10 oz cans chopped clams,
2 tsp granulated chicken bouillon
1 cup white wine
6 tbs butter
salt and pepper to taste
chopped fresh parsley
grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add linguine and cook until al dente. In the meantime, in a sauce pan, over medium heat, saute onions and garlic in olive oil until softened. Add chopped clams (including the liquid) along with the remaining ingredients. Simmer for a few minutes. When linguine is done, drain it and add it to the saucepan. Toss until coated with sauce. Top with parsley and grated cheese. Serve immediately.


Tip:
This recipe makes a lot of sauce for one pound of pasta and there's a very good reason for that. I like a lot of sauce on my pasta! If you prefer your pasta to be a little dryer, you can cut the recipe in half or make two pounds of pasta!