Grilled Clams With Smoked Chili Cachucha Mojo And Bacon Recipes

CLAM AND BACON SOUP

Steps:

• Bring 4 cups water and the vermouth to a boil in a large pot over high heat. Add the clams, cover and cook until they start opening, 4 to 10 minutes; as the clams open, transfer them to a bowl using tongs. (Discard any unopened clams.) Strain the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into another bowl; set aside.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the bacon and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon starts to crisp, about 7 minutes. Add the spring onions, sliced celery, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about 7 minutes.
• Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables in the pan; cook, stirring, until incorporated, about 1 minute. Slowly add the reserved clam cooking liquid, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Add the clams to the saucepan (remove from the shells and chop, if desired); add the peas. Cook until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the half-and-half. Top with celery leaves and serve with the baguette.

GRILLED CLAMS WITH SMOKED CHILI-CACHUCHA MOJO AND BACON

Steps:

• To make mojo, mix all ingredients together in a bowl and slightly chill before serving.
• Preheat a grill to medium-high heat. Place bacon in a saucepan over grill and cook until crisp. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel. Discard bacon fat.
• Next, arrange clams directly over the grate of the grill and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until shells open. Transfer clams to serving plate and discard any clams that haven't opened. Spoon a teaspoon of mojo into shells and sprinkle with crisp bacon. Serve immediately.

STOVE TOP SMOKER SMOKED CLAMS ON THE HALF SHELL WITH CASINO BUTT

Steps:

• To make the casino butter, beat the butter, bacon, red pepper, parsley, lemon juice, Worcestershire, and black pepper together in a small bowl. The butter can be prepared up to three days in advance and refrigerated or frozen up to 1 month. Bring the butter to room temperature about 1 hour before smoking the clams. The butter should be very soft so it melts easily when spooned on the clams.
• Line the bottom of a 9 x 11-inch aluminum foil tray with an even 1/2-inch layer of rock salt.
• Nestle the clams on their half shells into the salt to keep them level during smoking.
• Set up the smoker using the wood chips and smoke the clams over medium heat until they are cooked through and tinged with brown, about 12 minutes, after closing the top.
• Remove the smoker lid and drop about 1/2 teaspoon of the butter onto each clam. Let them.
• sit a minute until the butter starts to melt, then transfer them carefully to serving plates or a warm platter. Serve immediately.

GRILLED CLAMS WITH GARLICKY WHITE WINE SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil over medium heat. Melt butter then add garlic and saute for about 1 minute or until garlic is fragrant.
• Pour in the wine and bring to a boil, cooking until the wine has reduced to about half its original volume. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired. I use sea salt and fresh ground peppercorns. Set sauce aside and keep warm.
• Get grill as hot as you can for best results. Place the clams on grill. (A disposible foil pan works great for this!) Grill until the clams have opened and discard any clams that do not.
• Remove from grill and pour clams and juice into a shallow bowl. Pour sauce sauce over the top. Top with parsley and any optional garnishes as desired.
• Serve immediately with some good crusty bread to soak up all the yummy juices.
• Have another glass of wine and ENJOY!