Spicy Linguine with Clams

This is a great dinner. The spicy sausage goes really well with the briny clams. Jamie and I devoured it.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 spicy Italian sausage link, casings removed

2 lb clams, scrubbed thoroughly

1 large shallot, minced

4 cloves garlic, minced

Olive oil

3 plum tomatoes, diced

Red pepper flakes

1 cup white wine

Linguine

Parsley, minced

Quick Cioppino

After a long weekend of staying up late and eating junk food (fried chicken from the Dutch on Sunday morning with Alice), I thought Jamie and I needed some soup. I saw this recipe for a quick cioppino on Epicurious and it looked perfect - I altered it slightly with adding in some clams and letting the wine cook down a little bit. It's pretty healthy and has a really hearty, stew flavor from the red wine. It's great as a winter meal with some toasted sour dough bread and you get so many nice, chunks of seafood. And I got to use my beautiful, new Le Creuset pot, so I was a happy little housewife.

Ingredients:

1 fennel bulb, halved and sliced

1 medium onion, halved and sliced

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 bay leaves 

1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme

Clam, bacon, corn, and tomato summer stew

Saw this recipe on Food52 and couldn't resist - it has all the best summer ingredients. It's super tasty, pretty quick, and a crowd pleaser. Make sure to take it off the heat right when all the clams are open so they stay tender and amazing. I added some onion and some zucchini because I had it and why not. Great summer dinner! Don't be put off by "stew" - it's not like its usual thick, hearty, wintery cousin.

Serves 4-6 as a main
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 lb bacon, sliced into lardons
1 tbsp smoked sweet paprika
6 ears corn, shucked and cut from the cob
salt and pepper to taste
1 red onion, diced
1/2 lb tomatoes, cut in half
half of one lemon
3 tbsp bourbon
20 clams, scrubbed well (you don't want to eat the grit)
3 small zucchini, chopped into bite sized pieces
bread for serving
basil leaves, ripped up

Directions:
Heat up the oil in a large pot. Add the bacon and stir until the fat starts to render, then add onions. Stir until fat renders and bacon is crunchy, and onion is soft.

Grilled Clams with Herb Butter

These are incredible, and so easy! I made them as a little hors d'oeuvres for a BBQ this past weekend, but I think they were the star. I am looking forward to being back out in Southampton (with a grill) again next weekend so I can make them again! My friend Alice doesn't cook, so to gauge difficulty levels - she said even she could do this. Very simple and so, so tasty!

Ingredients:
A big handful of fresh herbs (I used basil, dill, tarragon, parsley, chives, and thyme from my garden)
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 stick of butter, softened
big pinch of salt and pepper
2 dozen clams

Directions:
Finely chop up the herbs. Mash into the butter with lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Form into a log on a piece of Saran wrap and put in the fridge for an hour or more so it hardens. (Probably fine to do it right before and not refrigerate too.)

Easy Linguine with Clams

Our adorable intern brought in a whole slew of clams yesterday from her dad's fishing company - thanks, Shannon! I wanted to make an easy dinner because I was a little pressed for time so I did a simple linguine with clams. It's delicious and easy, I just wish I'd bought some good bread to soak up the broth!

Cook linguine in well salted water until al dente. Then pour into a strainer and toss with a little olive oil so it doesn't stick together. Immediately return the pot to the burner and add olive oil, a minced garlic clove, and some red pepper flakes. Saute the garlic for about a minute (less if it starts to brown) and then add the clams, carefully so they don't crack, and a tablespoon or two of water. Put the lid on the pot and let the clams steam until they open - about 5 minutes. Once open, turn off the heat, return the noodles to the pot, and if you have it, add a fresh herb like parsley or basil. Toss it all together and serve! Easy. Make sure to have a bowl on the table to throw the shells.

Indoor Clambake

I've been dying to try this all summer. The Lobster Place and Clamman both have pre-packaged, all ready versions, but I was tempted by the chorizo, onions, and garlic in Martha Stewart's recipe. It was a great, fun, and surprisingly easy meal. Good for a special occasion, or, in my case, just having girls over for dinner. The dipping sauce is delicious and much healthier than just a bowl of melted butter. So summery and festive!

The mussels were tender and delicious and the lobster was cooked perfectly. The little knuckles just melt in your mouth. The timing on this recipe is what makes everything cook perfectly. When cracking into the lobster claws, prepare to get a little messy. The corn tastes great dipped in the sauce and sprinkled with salt.

(for 4 people)
Ingredients:
1 onion, quartered
3 garlic cloves
1/2 bottle of pale ale beer (I used Brooklyn Summer)
1/2 cup water
3/4 lb new potatoes

FISH

In glowing neon letters on Bleecker street is a simple "Fish" scrawled out in illuminated script. It took me a while to realize that was actually the name, not just the fare. If you're ever going out for drinks in the West Village, or dinner and want to meet for a drink first, Fish is a great find. For only $8 you can get either 6 oysters or 6 clams on a half shell and your choice of a glass of Chardonnay, a glass of Merlot, or Pabst Blue Ribbon (on tap). I had some people over for dinner the other night and before eating, we went down the street and tried out this deal. We all got the oysters, and they were fresh and tasty and served with a great mignonette sauce and lemon wedges. While you await your oysters, you can also help yourself to the giant bowls of peanuts resting on the bar. Next time I go, I may just get 2 or 3 orders of the oysters and call it a meal.

Fish is at Bleecker and Jones, near the 1 subway and the ACE and BDFV.