Clams With Chorizo Peppers And Potatoes Recipes

CLAMS WITH CHORIZO

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan (preferably one that can also be used for serving) over high heat. When it begins to smoke, add the chorizo and cook until just beginning to color, 2 minutes. Add the onion and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until the onion is translucent, 2 minutes.
• Add the garlic, cockles, clam juice and wine. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the cockles are open and warmed through, 5 to 7 minutes. (Discard any cockles that do not open.) Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with bread.

CLAMS WITH CHORIZO, PEPPERS, AND POTATOES

Steps:

• Cook onions and pepper in oil in a 12-inch heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat, covered, 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, peel potatoes and cut into 3/4-inch pieces.
• Add potatoes to skillet and cook, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are almost tender and vegetables begin to brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Add wine and briskly simmer, uncovered, 2 minutes.
• Add chorizo and clams and cook, covered, shaking skillet occasionally, until clams open wide, 6 to 10 minutes (discard any clams that remain unopened after 10 minutes). Divide among bowls and sprinkle with parsley.

CLAMS WITH CHORIZO

Steps:

• Scrub the clams, discarding any with cracked or open shells that fail to close when tapped.
• Heat the olive oil in a nonreactive large sautee pan or saucepan. Prick the sausage a few times with a toothpick. Fry the sausage over medium heat until cooked, about five minutes on each side. Transfer the sausage to a cutting board and let it cool, then cut it into thin slices.
• Discard all but two tablespoons of the fat from the pan. Add the onion and garlic and cook over medium heat until lightly brown, about three minutes. Stir in the sausage, tomatoes, parsley, bay leaf, pepper and wine. Bring the mixture to a boil. Stir in the clams and tightly cover the pot.
• Cook the clams over high heat until the shells open, about eight minutes. Shake the pan occasionally to give the shells room to open. Ladle the clams and cooking liquid into shallow bowls (discard any that have not opened).

CLAMS WITH CHORIZO

Steps:

• Heat a large saucepot over medium heat. Add the chorizo and cook, using a spoon or spatula to break up the sausage into small pieces, until the sausage begins to brown. Add the onions and garlic and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Continue to cook until the sausage has browned, 3 to 4 minutes, taking care not to burn the garlic.
• Add the clams to the pot and let settle for a minute, then add the white wine and cilantro. Re-season with salt and pepper and cover tightly with a lid. Let cook about 5 minutes, making sure that the broth at the bottom is at a simmer during that time. After 5 minutes, the clams should have opened or be mostly open; if not, or if the mixture is dry, add another 1/4 cup or so of wine, cover and simmer until the clams are open, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Taste the broth for seasoning and add salt or pepper if necessary. Add the butter to the broth and stir to combine.
• Transfer to a large serving bowl, making sure to pour the broth over the clams. (Remove any unopened clams and discard them.) Serve with crusty bread or baguette.

PORTUGUESE-STYLE PORK AND CLAMS WITH CHORIZO AND FRIED POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200°F.
• Heat a large sauté pan over high heat for 2 minutes. Swirl in the pork fat and wait 1 minute. Taste a piece of the pork confit to see if it needs more seasoning. Season with salt and pepper, if necessary. Place the pork confit in the pan, being careful not to crowd it. (You may need to do this in two pans or two batches.) Sear the pork 4 to 5 minutes on the first side. When the first side is nicely caramelized, turn the pork cubes over, and brown them on all sides. Stir in the fried potatoes, heat them through, and coat them well with the pork fat. Transfer the pan to the oven to keep it warm.
• Heat a Dutch oven over high heat for 2 minutes. Swirl in the olive oil and wait 1 minute. Crumble the chorizo into the pan, and sauté about 4 minutes, until the sausage is crisped on one side but not fully cooked. Add the shallots and thyme, stirring to coat them with the chorizo oil. Add the clams and the roasted tomatoes, stirring for about 2 minutes to combine all the ingredients and coat the clams. Pour in the vermouth and cover the pan. Let the clams steam a few minutes, until they open. Remove the lid and add the stock. Discard any unopened clams. Bring to a simmer, stirring well to combine the flavors, and swirl in the butter. Taste for seasoning. Spoon the clams and chorizo into a large, warm, shallow bowl.
• Meanwhile, take the pork out of the oven and return it to the stove, over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir well, so that it coats the meat and potatoes. After a minute or two, when the garlic is translucent and just starting to color, stir in the parsley. Arrange the pork and potatoes over the clams and chorizo.
• Serve with a large serving spoon and lots of crusty bread. If you are feeling over the top, a bowl of aïoli would really gild the lily (see page 148).
• Fried Potatoes
• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Place the potatoes in a roasting pan, and toss well with 2 tablespoons olive oil, the garlic, bay leaves, thyme sprigs, and 1 heaping teaspoon salt. Cover tightly with aluminum foil, and roast the potatoes about 50 minutes, until they're tender. (The time will really depend on size, age, and variety of potatoes.) When the potatoes have cooled, peel them, discard the bay leaves and thyme, and crumble the potatoes into chunky pieces with your hands.
• Heat a large sauté pan over high heat for 2 minutes. (To get the potatoes nicely browned and crisp, don't overcrowd them. You may have to use two pans or brown them in batches.) Swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and wait 1 more minute. Add the crumbled potatoes, and season with the thyme leaves, salt, and pepper. Sauté the potatoes until they are crispy on one side. (Don't try to move them or turn them if they are stuck to the pan; they will eventually release themselves, just be patient.) After about 8 minutes, when they've browned nicely on the first side, stir them to let them color on all sides. Serve immediately, or set aside on a baking sheet.
• Roasted Tomatoes
• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Slice the tomatoes in half lengthwise, toss them with the olive oil, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper. Place the tomatoes, cut side down, on a baking sheet, and roast in the oven 30 to 40 minutes, until their skins blister and shrivel. When the tomatoes have cooled, pull off their skins and crush them gently with your hands.
• Note
• This is one of the more involved recipes in this book, but if you plan ahead and prep well, it's actually simple the evening of the dinner. Confit the pork a day or two in advance (remember, it will need to sit in the brine for 2 days before that!). Roast the tomatoes and potatoes in the morning, and then, closer to dinnertime, fry the potatoes and set them aside. The sautéing of the pork and steaming of the clams should be done at the last minute.

STEAMED CLAMS IN WINE AND CHORIZO

Steps:

• Cook onion, bell pepper, garlic, cumin, and salt in oil in a 4- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, 7 to 9 minutes. Stir in wine and bring to a boil.
• Add clams and chorizo, then boil, covered, until clams open, 7 to 8 minutes. (Discard any clams that are not open after 9 minutes.) Season with pepper and stir in cilantro.

CHORIZO STEAMED CLAMS

Steps:

• Place large pot over medium heat; add olive oil. Stir in diced onion; cook and stir until onions begin to turn translucent, 3 or 4 minutes. Add chorizo; cook and stir to render some fat, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Pour in white wine.
• Raise heat to high and bring liquid to a boil. Immediately add clams and distribute evenly. Cover and cook until clams open, about 7 minutes. During this time you can occasionally shake the pot to "stir" the clams using potholders or a kitchen towel to hold the pot handles. It's best not to open the lid and stir.
• When clams have opened, remove pot from heat. Stir in butter and parsley; allow butter to melt. Serve clams in heated bowls with lots of the liquid.

CHORIZO AND CLAMS, PORTUGUESE STYLE

Steps:

• In a large pot or sauté pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion begins to wilt, about 3 minutes. Crumble the chorizo into the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to firm, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, bay leaf, wine, and water and bring to a boil. Cover partially and cook until the liquid is reduced and the mixture is saucy, 5 minutes.
• Add the shellfish to the pan, cover all the way, and cook until the shells open and their meat is slightly firm, about 5 minutes. Discard any shellfish that fail to open, then serve right away.