Recipe: Clams with Tomatoes and Garlic

Recipe Source: Weir, Joanne.  From Tapas to Meze.  Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, 2004 p. 44

Shellfish are an important part of New England culinary life.  It's not all baked scrod and deep-fried haddock around here.  Most of the time the shellfish even comes from New England, so you're supporting at least semi-local businesses by using them.  They're a healthy source of protein, and if you're an (observant) Orthodox Christian they're an acceptable source of protein during Lent.  They're tasty and, depending on your source, they can be a lot easier on the budget than some other piscene food sources.

They're also dead easy to make. 

I used to be afraid to make them.  I was terrified of food-borne illness.  For the most part, the shellfish population in this country is safe.  There are places around here that produce shellfish that ought not to.  My husband has actually seen people digging for clams off Logan Airport, which seems like a colossally bad idea to me.  Your fishmonger is required to tell you where your shellfish came from, so if in doubt, ask.  Anyway, if you follow some basic rules about storage et cetera and you eat them the day you buy them, you should be okay. 

So I really enjoy shellfish and tend to make it once a week or so, although sometimes I'm just not feeling inspired by mollusks and go for meat.  I decided to make this on a recent Friday night for me and my husband.  Then we heard some friends were having a tough day - their roof was leaking badly and the wife was trying to make the cupcakes for a baby shower... in Nyack.  We decided that we would bring dinner to them.  Now, this is a tapas dish intended to serve 6 as part of a tapas spread.  I figured it would serve two as a main course, not four.  I remembered something a very wise friend taught me years ago.  Starch is filling.  The right kind of starch can also provide an excellent vehicle for sauce... like the sauce from this dish.  But what kind of starch?  Bread was right out - I didn't have enough time to make it.  Rice would have been okay, but kind of dull.  Barley was kind of what I was in the mood for, but I hadn't any.  I did however have a huge sack of quinoa.  The lady of the house we were bringing the food to is quite fond of quinoa.  I decided that the dish you see here would be served on a bed of quinoa. 

I made a few other changes as well.  I reduced the amount of olive oil slightly to reduce fat.  I used more tomatoes than called for, all of the canned variety.  I'd opened a can for another recipe and wanted to use up more of those leftovers.  Besides, tomatoes are incredibly tasty and are packed with lycopene, which is good for you.  I was distinctly lacking in a white wine I wanted to use for cooking, so I substituted some hard cider.  It's my understanding that in some parts of Spain that would be perfectly normal.  I could be wrong though.  Anyway, I used Lemony Vegetable Broth instead of fish stock because I had it and because it's a lot cheaper than fish stock or clam juice.  I also increased the amount of garlic.  How can a recipe have garlic in the title and only include one clove?  Seriously. 

Clams with Tomatoes and Garlic (serves 4; approx. $3.80/serving)

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

21 ounces (approx.) diced canned tomatoes with their juices

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1/2 cup hard apple cider (I'm a big fan of Harpoon cider if you can get it)

1 cup Lemony Vegetable Broth

Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

8 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 pounds fresh clams

2 cups quinoa

4 cups water

Equipment:

• Large wok, pot or saute pan with lid
• Immersion blender
• Medium saucepan with lid

1. Combine the quinoa and the water in the medium saucepan and bring to a boil.  Cover and simmer 15 minutes, then let stand (covered) and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in the other pot.
3. Add the onion and cook until it begins to turn golden and gets soft.
4. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste.  Cook about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
5. Add the cider.  Simmer until the mixture is reduced by half.
6. Add the broth.  Simmer another 5 minutes.
7. Using the immersion blender, puree the sauce.  I was more than willing to leave a few chunks in there for texture.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.
8. Add the clams, parsley and garlic to the pan. 
9. Cover and cook over high heat 5 - 10 minutes, or until the clams are open. 
10. Put the quinoa into your serving vessel.
11. Pour the clams and the sauce from the pan over the quinoa and serve. 

Comments

[Angie@Angie's Recipes]

If I could get the fresh clams here, I might make a clear clam soup just simply flavoured with shredded ginger!
Yours with garlic and tomato looks pretty awesome too!

[Fearless Kitchen]

Angie - you're making me hungry....