Got Clams?

Clams are one of those foods that some people really like and some people are really just terrified to even try.

While many take their first step into the briny world of this bivalve through the cream-fortified vehicle of New England Clam Chowder and stop there, the converted know that a big pile of clams steamed in a garlicky, wine-infused broth is a tasty (and probably healthier) way to enjoy these humble bivalves.

Know Thy Clam
Bivalves make their living filtering water. Where they come from, what time of year it is, how long they have been in transit, and how they've been stored all contribute to quality. There is nothing better than fresh clean clam and there is absolutely nothing worse than a bad clam, oyster, or mussel. On the positive side, if you get a bad one, you will know fairly quickly. If something doesn't taste right, don't eat it.

I personally suggest sticking with product from the cold, clean waters of the Pacific northwest or New Zealand. New Zealand cockles, a great little clam, are particularly sweet and tasty when available. Costco is a great place to get a bag of these at a good price.

All clams, cockles, mussels, oyster and other bivalves are, by law, shipped with a tag that lists their origin, date of harvest, and date of packing. If this tag is not attached or displayed with the clams, ask to see it. The retailer must provide it. If you can get product that has been harvested within the last week, that's ideal. Anything more than 10-12 days I would probably pass on.

True Grit

Clams live in sand. No getting around that. But, eating gritting clams is something nobody could possibly enjoy. Fortunately, there is a great way to minimize this experience that I've found through much research and experimentation.

First, dump your clams into a big bowl and give them a good wash to get them started. I use a big, stainless steel mixing bowl. Throw out any broken clams. Next, here's the best way I've ever found for getting the grit out of clams. (Note: things you may read in various cookbooks about putting cornmeal in the water or anything else are pure baloney and don't work. Trust me.)

Cover the clams with cold water adding about about 2 tablespoons of salt and 1/8 cup white vinegar per gallon of water. No need to get too precise. Give it a stir. Let them sit for at least 20-30 minutes, but probably not more than an hour. The clams will take in some of the acidulated water then basically spit it out along with any grit in them. (You'll be surprised how much.) Pour off the cloudy water and rinse a couple more times. Any clams that are open and won't stay closed after a little tap or have broken shells should be discarded.

Note, while it happens very rarely, I have gotten a bad bag of clams once or twice in the last ten years. This was most likely due to improper storage/handling during shipping. The tip off is that they basically smelled really bad and there were a lot of dead clams in there. If this happens to you, trust your nose and throw the whole lot in the garbage or take them back to the store for a refund.

Cooking

Chop, crush, or slice 2 or more cloves of garlic. Some shallots can be nice to add, too.

Heat up a large, heavy pot such as a Le Creuset Dutch Oven:

Saute garlic on medium heat in sufficient olive oil and butter until just before it browns.

Add clams. (This recipe is based on the size bag Costco sells. Probably 4-5 lbs.)

Add about 1/4 to 1/3 cup total of un-oaked white wine and water. (Pinot Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Chablis, etc., all work fine. Even Chardonnay or beer is OK if that's all you've got!)

Add few grinds of black pepper.
Add a pinch or two of crushed red pepper. A pinch of dried thyme, oregano, or marjoram can be added if you like those flavors, but go easy. Remember that this is about not overpowering the main ingredient.

Crank heat up to high. Cover. Stir occasionally.
After about 5 minutes, check. The freshest clams will have opened. Remove open clams with some tongs. Don't overcook, they'll get rubbery!
Through out anything that doesn't open.

Remove clams to large bowl and serve with broth and crusty bread on the side.

Hungarian Pork and Sauerkraut Goulash

(Székelygulyás)

This is comfort food at it's best. It's a fairly simple braise that delivers serious amounts of flavor. The sauerkraut, gives a great tang and texture to the dish. The sour cream mixture added at the end turns it into something truly heavenly.

The first time I had something resembling this dish was at a Czech beer garden in Queens, N.Y. and I was blown away. There it was served with bready boiled Czech dumplings called knedliky. (Just the thing you need to soak up large quantities of fine Czech Pilsner!)

The original recipe comes from the New York Times and they say it was adapted from the Kehli tavern, Budapest. (Some sources attribute this dish to the Szekeli people of Transylvania, but Wikipedia's entry on goulash says that's not quite correct.)

I have modified the original New York Times recipe slightly after making it a few times. I've adjusted some of the ingredient quantities. Make sure you use a fresh can of good quality sweet Hungarian paprika. That 10-year old jar of paprika hiding in the back of your spice cabinet for sprinkling on top of deviled eggs for color lost its flavor long ago and isn't going to cut it.

Preparation Time: About 3 hours (it's worth it)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion(about ½ a medium onion)
1/3 cup sweet Hungarian paprika.
Pinch of hot Hungarian paprika, or cayenne (or 1 tsp smoked paprika and ½ tsp of chipotle powder if you have it around and like a little smoky flavor and heat.)
1 ½ pounds boneless pork loin or pork shoulder, cut into ½-inch cubes
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
½ teaspoon caraway seeds
½ teaspoon minced fresh dill(or ¼ teaspoon dry)
½ Italian frying pepper, finely chopped (totally optional)
1 ripe tomato, seeded and finely chopped . (Or substitute 1 cup of good quality canned tomato product.)
2 lbs. packaged (refrigerated, not canned) sauerkraut, rinsed well and drained.
(note: 1 standard bag or a big jar of Claussen or Bubbies fresh sauerkraut works fine. Works out to about a pound after rinsing and draining.)

¾ cups sour cream
¾ cups heavy cream.
¾ tablespoon (~2 teaspoons) all-purpose flour.

1. Heat the oil in a 4- to 6-quart dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and saute until translucent, about 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat, and add 2 tablespoons water and the sweet paprika and hot paprika. Place pan over low heat, and saute 3 minutes. Add pork, garlic, caraway seeds, dill and 2-3 more tablespoons water. Cover, and cook on low until pork is tender, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally and adding a tablespoon or two of water if it seems too dry. Pork will release a fair amount of water, so give it 15-20 minutes before adding any water.

2. Add tomato and optional chopped pepper to pan. Cover, and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring occasionally, until about half the liquid has evaporated. Add sauerkraut and toss gently to combine. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for an additional hour.

3. Combine sour cream, heavy cream, and flour and mix well. Add to pan and stir. Cover and continue to cooking, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Garnish with more sour cream if desired.

4. Serve over noodles, dumplings, thick sliced toast, or other favorite starch.  Or not.

Yield: 6 servings.

Great Lemon Chicken

When you have some time to let things marinate, this is one of the tastiest lemon chicken recipes you can find. Especially, if you can get some Meyer lemons.

If you don't have Meyer Lemons, consider correcting the flavor and acid balance with either mandarin or other orange juice. Meyer Lemons are a cross between a lemon and Mandarin Orange and have a taste that is hard to match, but since you are going to marinate this dish for 12 hours or more, you don't want to have an overly acidic marinade.

(Or just try it with regular lemons and it will probably be great!)

The Marinade

This is enough for 3-4 cut up chickens

4 Cups Lemon Juice (fresh squeezed, ideally Meyer, but any will do.)
1 Cup Corn/Canola Oil
2 Cups chopped fresh rosemary.
1 Cup dry Oregano (Meditarrean, Mexican , or mix. Double if fresh)
1/8 cup crushed red pepper
6 tablespoons garlic, minced/crushed. (~10 cloves)
salt& pepper to taste. (e.g. 1-2 tablespoon, or so, salt. 2 teaspoons, or so, fresh ground pepper.)

Put all ingredients in blender and zip it up for about a minute.

The Sauce

2 Cups Lemon Juice, fresh squeezed
1 Cup Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Garlic (minced)
1-1/2 tsp Oregano (dry)
3 Tablespoon Sherry or Red Wine Vinegar
Salt & Pepper to taste. (~1 Tablespoon salt)

Whisk or mix in a blender.

Directions

Marinate chicken parts (with or without skin) 12-15 hours in Lemon Marinade

Place chicken in baking or roasting pan(s) and cook at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Remove from baking pan, discard liquid.

Optional: Grill chicken parts on gas grill on low for ~5 minutes to crisp up skin.

Place chicken in a big bowl and pour some of the sauce over the cooked chicken. Toss gently to coat. Serve, passing some extra sauce on the side.

(Note: Sauce is good on just about everything. Potatoes, vegetables, etc.)