Hard Shell Clams With Parsley Pesto Recipes

PASTA WITH CLAMS, CORN, AND BASIL PESTO

Steps:

• Make the pesto:
• In a blender or food processor, combine garlic, Parmigiano, basil, and oil and blend until very smooth, scraping down sides as needed and adding a tablespoon or two of water if needed to get things moving. Add lemon zest and season with salt and pepper. Set pesto aside (you should have about 1/2 cup).
• Cook the clams and pasta:
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta and season it generously with salt. In a medium Dutch oven or large cast-iron skillet, heat butter and oil over medium-high heat. When butter is foaming, add garlic, shallots, and reserved basil stems and cook until mixture is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add wine and bring to a simmer. Add clams, toss to coat, cover, and cook, checking and stirring every few minutes, until clams begin to open, 3 to 5 minutes. As clams open, transfer them with a slotted spoon to a medium bowl, but try to keep pot covered as much as possible. Fish out basil stems and keep pan sauce warm over very low heat. (If you want a shell-free dining experience, gently liberate clams from their shells and return them to bowl with a splash or two of pasta water over them so they don't dry out.)
• Cook pasta until 1 or 2 minutes shy of al dente. Scoop 1 cup of pasta water into pan with clam sauce. Drain pasta and add to sauce along with half of the pesto. Add corn and bring mixture to a simmer. Cook, stirring, until liquid starts to thicken and pasta is al dente, about 2 minutes. Add clams and any accumulated liquid from bowl. Cook, stirring and tossing, until clams are warmed through, 2 minutes. Serve pasta and clams topped with more pesto.

HARD-SHELL CLAMS WITH PARSLEY PESTO

Steps:

• Turn on broiler and put a large cast-iron skillet under it while you make parsley pesto. Combine parsley with a pinch of salt, garlic and about half the oil in a food processor or blender. Process, stopping to scrape down sides of container if necessary, and adding rest of oil gradually. Add vinegar or lemon juice, then a little water to thin mixture slightly. Taste and adjust seasoning.
• Carefully remove skillet from broiler, add clams to it and return to broiler. They should all open more or less at once, within 10 minutes; remove them as soon as they do to preserve their juices, and put on a plate. Dab each with parsley sauce and serve hot. (Any clams that do not open are safe to eat; open them with a dull knife, or continue to broil a few minutes longer.)

CLAMS, CHILIES, AND PARSLEY PIZZA

Steps:

• Remove the pizza dough from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before baking.
• Place 1/4 cup oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, and saute until it is limp, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, bay leaf and a pinch of chili flakes. Reduce heat to low and cook 7 minutes longer. Add wine, and bring to a simmer. Add clams, cover pot, and cook till they start to open, about 10 minutes. As they open, use tongs to transfer them to a large bowl. When all clams are cooked and cooled, pluck out meat, and discard shells.
• Simmer liquid left in pot until it reduces to a thick, syrupy glaze, about 10 minutes. Add cream, and continue simmering until mixture is reduced by a quarter, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, and set aside.
• Take a pizza peel and dust the surface with flour. Form the dough into a 12-inch round.
• Working quickly, paint the entire surface of the pizza with one-quarter of the clam glaze. Scatter a dozen or so clams over the pizza and sprinkle with chili flakes. Drizzle with oil.
• Place peel into brick oven. Slide off the peel. Watch the pizza and continue to rotate it in the oven until all sides of the crust bubble up, allowing for some black bubbles, but not too many. (Approximately 2 minutes.)
• Take the pizza out of the oven and sprinkle with chili flakes and scatter with parsley.
• Repeat with the remaining dough balls and toppings.
• If using fresh yeast, mix 1 1/2 cups cold water and yeast together in an electric mixer until yeast is dissolved. If using dry active yeast, mix water and yeast and let sit until the yeast is foamy, about 5 minutes. Beat in flour and salt and mix with dough hook until the dough comes together to form a smooth, slightly elastic dough, 2 to 3 minutes. Do not knead. Place the dough into oil-coated bowl, cover loosely with plastic and store in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours and up to 3 days to proof. At Franny's we let it proof for 48 hours, at which point we feel the dough has the optimal texture and flavor.
• When you are ready to make the pizza, divide the dough into 4 equal pieces and shape into balls. Return the dough to the refrigerator to rest for 4 to 6 hours, or until needed, up to 12 hours. Remove the dough and let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before using (take the dough out of the fridge while you preheat the pizza stone). You can let it sit out longer as long as it doesn't get too soft and floppy, which will make it difficult to shape. Soft dough is also more likely to stick to the cookie sheet or pizza peel, making it harder to slide onto the stone. If the dough gets too soft, stick it back in the fridge for 10 minutes or so to give it a chance to firm up. Shape and top as directed for in the pizza recipe.

CHERRYSTONE CLAMS WITH GARLIC AND PARSLEY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Steam the clams in the white wine in a covered, nonreactive pot about 10 minutes or until they open.
• Scoop the clams out of the pot and remove and discard the top shells.
• Pour the steaming clam liquid into another nonreactive pot, straining out any sand.
• Crush the chopped garlic to a paste and add it, along with the parsley to the clam liquid.
• Boil the liquid until it is reduced by half and add the cream.
• Continue boiling until it thickens slightly, being careful not to let the cream boil over.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Arrange the clams on a sheet of crumpled foil on a baking sheet so that they sit flat and steady.
• Spoon enough sauce into each clam to fill the shell.
• Bake 5 minutes until sauce bubbles.