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10 Ways Tuesday: Clams

By Jess On August 8, 2011 · 4 Comments

I’ve got fresh ideas for cooking with clams during summer:

1. Shellfish Platter

In Thomas Keller’s Bouchon cookbook you’ll find instructions on composing a glorious Plateau de Fruits de Mer. It’s one of those grand seafood platters people order in restaurants, a true celebration of all the ocean has to offer. For me, it’s a jovial way to share a table with friends while drinking bubbles. A platter is filled with ice and seafood piled atop. Cooked crab, lobster, mussels, and shrimp are served alongside raw, shucked oysters and clams. A choice of sauces such as mignonette, cocktail, and aioli is placed on the table for dipping. Magnificent!

2. Pizza

Every Friday night Proto’s Pizza in Boulder features a special of clam pizza. Mario Batali shares his take in Molto Gusto with a recipe for Pizza Vongole. Clams are cooked in a pot with olive oil, garlic, white wine and red pepper flakes. Then a pizza crust is topped with fresh mozzarella and baked. Once removed from the oven the pizza is topped with clams and plenty of fresh parsley.

3. Broiled

The recipe for Sizzling Clams with Garlic-Herb Butter in Bistro Cooking at Home is quick, flavorful, and can be prepared ahead of time. Gordon Hamersley suggests shucking the clams ahead of time and placing them on a cookie sheet in the fridge, each with a dollop of the compound butter. To cook the clams just place them under a hot broiler for about 3 minutes. Serve the sizzling hot clams with chopped herbs and lemon wedges as a starter.

4. Grilled Over Hot Coals

Littleneck and razor clams are delicious cooked on the grill, where the smoke infuses the shellfish. Just set them on a wire rack and cook for a few minutes until they pop open, bubbling in their own juices. Serve with grilled corn. Spiked Clams and Oysters from The New Classics by Martha Stewart seems like a great idea. The shellfish are placed in a cast-iron skillet with tequila, covered in foil and cooked atop a charcoal grill. Imagine the possibilities! I think it would be interesting to use an especially smoky or tequila for this. She serves the cooked clams and oysters with several sauces: chipotle mayonnaise, Bloody Mary sauce, and lime-mint sauce.

5. Ceviche

Two-Minute Cherrystone Clam Ceviche from The Young Man & the Sea is inspired by the South American technique of “cooking” seafood by marinating it in citrus juice. Shucked clams are tossed with lemon and lime juice then served in their shells with diced watermelon, cucumber, scallions, jalapeño and sea salt. So refreshing in the heat of summer!

6. Asian Stir-Fry

I came across a recipe for Stir-Fried Clams with Garlic and Ginger in Rick Stein’s Complete Seafood (James Beard Award Winning Cookbook), that looks perfect for summer: quick cooking with big flavors. Garlic, ginger, clams, shiitake mushrooms, bok choy, red pepper flakes, soy sauce, and green onions are stir-fried in a hot wok. This dish would make a healthy, easy weeknight supper.

7. Clams and Pork

Clams and pork are a beautiful combination. Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall refers to the Portuguese tendency to pair the two in his book, River Cottage. Clams are steamed in white wine. Seasoned pork tenderloin is browned in a frying pan then cooked with chorizo, the clams and their juices. A finely chopped chile is added at the last moment and the dish is served over white rice. This recipe from Bon Appétit combines clams with fennel and spicy Italian sausage. I like clams cooked with chorizo over white beans.

8. Go Greek with Shellfish Youvetsi

How to Roast a Lamb, by Michael Psilakis, details a recipe for shellfish stew inspired by the clay pot Greek sheepherders used to cook stews. Onion, fennel, garlic and celery are sauteed in oil for the base. Saffron is sprinkled in, then littleneck clams, razor clams, shrimp, and mussels are thrown into the pot with orzo pasta. The shellfish simmers in white wine and ouzo just a few moments until perfectly cooked. To finish, the shellfish youvetsi is served with lemon and herbs such as parsley, dill, and mint. This sounds so light and fresh, perfect for a summer evening and an easy supper with friends.

9. Go For the Can

That’s right, I’m talkin’ canned clams. It’s a Spain thing. Ever since I saw Anthony Bourdain in Spain singing the virtues of canned seafood I’ve developed a fascination with it. Canned seafood can be kept in the pantry waiting to be tossed with pasta or served on an hors d’ oeuvres plate to drop in guests. Look for products with no added ingredients and try different producers until you settle on a favorite.

10. Clam Juice

Bottled clam juice is often used to add flavor to soups, pasta sauces, and risotto. The Lee Bros. write about clam juice in their Southern Cookbook, describing it as having a “fresh from the sea” flavor. I like clam juice in dishes where there are no clams to add depth of flavor like this shrimp scampi. Cook’s Illustrated recommends using clam juice to flavor seafood stocks used in dishes like paella and bouillabaisse.

How do you like to cook with clams? Let me know in the comments section. Click here.

Ingredient Of The Week: Clams

By Jess On August 7, 2011 · 2 Comments

The summer days are hot and here at LaDomestique.com it’s all about light but flavorful cooking. Clams are the ingredient of the week: full of briny, sweet flavor and quick cooking. Check out the video above for all the details. Here at LaDomestique.com you’ll find creative ideas and recipes for cooking in the moment with clams. Thanks for watching, see you tomorrow for 10 Ways Tuesday!

Sunday Series: Gathering

By Jess On August 7, 2011 · 2 Comments

With the release of Kinfolk, an online magazine devoted to “small gartherings”, I’ve been inspired by the idea that entertaining is changing. For a long time now I’ve been turned off by the word, “entertaining”, which brings to mind perfect parties, formality, and posturing- keeping up with the Joneses. Entertaining seems dated. Times are changing. We’ve been through a recession. After all the spending of money we don’t have and buying houses we can’t afford, we’ve filled these houses with stuff that hasn’t brought happiness. For many, the reaction is to simplify. Pare back. We’re investing less in material things and more in the things that really fill us- our friendships.

Gathering is different. Gathering evokes a feeling of ease, warmth, and a focus on interacting rather than performing. In this world we’re becoming so insular. We forget the importance of gathering with friends to share stories at a thoughtfully set table with simple, flavorful food. Because of Kinfolk magazine, I want to remember.

I’ve decided to begin posting to LaDomestique.com on Sunday, the day of rest. Much of the week at this site is about learning and doing, but Sunday will be about reflecting. Join me in an effort to keep it all in perspective. I will share a special moment from the week, and I would love for you to share snippets of your small gatherings in the comments section.

To Begin

Charcuterie Plate (c)2011 LaDomestique.com

The husband and I served a simple supper for two of our friends, a couple who pass our home on their commute in and out of the city. She is an apparel designer and he is a photographer. Due to rush hour traffic, I wasn’t sure exactly when our friends would arrive. I didn’t want to be fretting over food getting cold or busy in the kitchen during our visit, so I kept the food simple and went with a charcuterie plate theme.I baked Saffron Bread Rolls to add a personal, homemade touch to the charcuterie, cheese, pistachios, pepperoncini and olives purchased at the grocer. On the table I placed my homemade cherry jam and pickled beets from my garden. Our friends brought cupcakes from a favorite local bakery, Tea & Cakes. We began the evening with bubbly wine and conversation. When it ended we hugged our friends goodnight. I felt a buzz- energized and happy.

This Past Week at La Domestique: Carrots

By Jess On August 6, 2011 · 2 Comments

This past week at La Domestique we celebrated a big carrot harvest from my Colorado community garden plot. The beautiful flavor of a fresh, sweet summer carrot is often in the shadow of the more popular tomatoes and zucchini. Cook in the moment and take the opportunity to enjoy carrots at their very best right now.

In case you missed anything, I’ve got a recap for you!

Monday: Announcing carrots as the ingredient of the week on videocast.

Tuesday: 10 Ways Tuesday! Creative ways to cook with carrots during summer.

Wednesday: Cook in the moment with a recipe for Carrot Soup with Moroccan Seasoning, Ginger, Oregano & Lime.

Thursday: The story behind carrots: growing, buying, storing, cooking and flavor pairing.

Friday: Making pickled carrots for the Vietnamese sandwich, bánh-mì.

I hope you enjoyed carrot week. Thanks for reading!

Pickled Carrots with a Vietnamese Sandwich

By Jess On August 4, 2011 · 4 Comments

Do Chua with Bánh-Mì Sandwich

Let’s wrap up carrot week with a quick pickle and a flavorful sandwich that’s sure to shake up your packed lunch routine. As I searched for fun ways to use an abundance of carrots from my garden, I was inspired by a recipe for Do Chua found in the cookbook, Canning for a New Generation, by Liana Krissoff. She describes do chua as “probably the most common quick pickle on the Vietnamese table.” A quick pickle is one that’s not processed for long term preserving, and so the jar must be kept refrigerated and used up in a shorter time before it goes bad. Do Chua is carrot and Daikon radish pickled in salt, sugar, and distilled white vinegar. Liana Krissoff writes that the Vietnamese use do chua as a dipping sauce (a small bowl where a few of the vegetables float in the brine), eaten as a side dish, and it’s a traditional ingredient in the famous bánh-mì sandwich.

In her book, Couscous and Other Good Food From Morocco, Paula Wolfert writes “the history of the nation, including its domination by foreign powers” is necessary to develop great cuisine. The bánh-mì was born when French colonists brought baguettes and pâté to Vietnam and the Vietnamese people created a sandwich all their own. Chad Robertson includes a recipe for bánh-mì in his book, Tartine Bread. He writes that bánh-mì literally translates to “bread” and instructs that when you order a sandwich in a bahn-mi shop, you pick your filling and then finish with the words bánh-mì. An authentic sandwich is made on slices of thin, crispy baguette with pâté and thin slices of cold cuts. I learned from the Momofuku cookbook that a bánh-mì sandwich is typically slathered with mayonnaise and garnished with cilantro and sliced chili pepper to add heat. On her site, Viet World Kitchen, Andrea Nguyen calls for a drizzle of soy sauce in her Master Banh Mi Sandwich Recipe.

To me, a bánh-mì sandwich is rustic, satisfying, and intensely flavorful. The rich meats are balanced by sweetness and acidity of the do chua. Heat of sliced chili pepper plays off fresh, green cilantro and cucumber. Varied textures of the soft pâté, crunchy bread, and crispy pickled veg keep things interesting. I think of bánh-mì as a great way to use leftover roast meats and the last of a motley crew of vegetables hanging out in your crisper. Pack this sandwich for a satisfying lunch by keeping the ingredients in separate compartments and combining it all when you’re ready to eat. If you’ve never tried a bánh-mì sandwich, it’s time to try something new!

My Little Bánh-Mì

I’m on a bread roll kick right now, so I decided to make a totally not-traditional sesame coated bread roll for my sandwich today. The recipe came from Dough by Richard Bertinett, very similar to the rolls I made here.

Next I made the Do Chua, pickled carrot and Daikon, from Canning for a New Generation. I peeled the vegetables and then sliced them into thin discs with my mandoline. I was feeling lazy so I didn’t do the traditional julienne strips, no biggie. I tossed the carrot and Daikon in salt and let them sit for half an hour, according to Liana Krissoff’s recipe. After this the vegetables release water, and I squeezed out as much liquid as possible from them. To finish simply stuff the sliced veg into a clean pint jar and pour over a liquid mixture of vinegar, water, and sugar. After curing two hours in the fridge the pickle is ready to use on your bánh-mì.

For my sandwich I layered mayonnaise, ham, sliced cucumber, fresh sliced chili pepper, cilantro, red onion, and the do chua on my homemade sesame bread roll. My little bánh-mì was a welcome change from the usual ham and cheese sandwich. I’m so happy to have discovered do chua and can’t wait to incorporate this pickled carrot and Daikon into more meals.

Thanks for reading and have a fantastic weekend!

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