Little neck clams in saffron cream broth
I love this dish so much. And clams are soooo easy. They just scream summertime!
I served these clams with plenty of bruschetta, a simple arugula salad and a big bowl of freshly roasted peppers.
XO, km
THE DISH:
little neck clams in saffron cream broth | serves 2-4
THE STUFF:
1 cup white wine
1 big pinch of saffron threads (about 1 tsp)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 shallot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tomato, small diced
5 lbs little neck clams, soaked + scrubbed
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
THE HOW-TO:
In a small bowl, stir together the wine and saffron threads and let sit for 10 minutes. In a low and wide skillet with a tight fitting lid, warm the olive oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and tomatoes and sauté just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the wine and saffron and bring to a boil.
Add the clams, cover tightly with lid, and steam for 6 minutes. Discard any clams that don’t open. Add the cream to the pan and carefully jiggle the pan around until the cream is distributed. Cook for just a minute or two, sprinkle with parsley and serve at once!
THE EXTRA:
• to clean clams: soak them in salted cold water for at least 30 minutes. All the sand will fall to the bottom of the bowl so when you scoop them out, do so very gently so you don’t stir up all the sand.
• bruschetta: slice crusty bread, brush both sides with olive oil, grill both sides, about 4 minutes total, remove from grill and rub each slice with a clove of garlic.
• peppers: blacken skin on grill or open flame of your gas grill. When totally black all over, place in a bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and allow to steam until completely cooled. Remove black skin, core and seeds then slice and toss with olive oil, parsley and bit of S+P.