Clam Soup Mark Bittman Recipes

MANHATTAN CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• Remove and set aside the tough muscle of each clam. Reserve both the muscle and softer body portions. Chop the muscles as finely as possible or purée them in a food processor, leaving the meat a bit coarse but fine. There should be about one and one- quarter cups.
• Cut the salt pork into very fine dice. Put the dice into a large pot and cook, stirring often, until they are rendered of fat and are slightly crisp.
• Add the onions and cook, stirring, until they are wilted. Add the green pepper, carrots and celery, and cook, stirring, about one minute.
• Add the chopped clam muscles, tomatoes, broth, water, bay leaf, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and add the potatoes. Simmer, skimming the surface to remove all trace of foam and scum, 20 to 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
• Finely chop the soft body portions of the clams or chop them using a food processor. Add this to the chowder and continue cooking five minutes, skimming the surface as necessary. Remove the bay leaf. Stir in the parsley and serve.

MARK BITTMAN'S PASTA WITH CLAMS

Steps:

• Steam the clams in a covered pot (a glass top is very nice, voyeuristically speaking). You don't need any liquid other than what the clams will release. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it.
• After the clams open - it could take as little as 10 minutes - uncover and cool. Take the meat out and strain and reserve the liquid; make sure to leave any sand behind. Chop the clams if they're big.
• Cook the pasta in the boiling salted water. Put 1/4 cup olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. When the oil is warm, add the red pepper flakes and garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the clams and continue to cook, stirring, for about a minute. Add about 1/2 cup of the reserved clam liquid.
• Drain the pasta when it's nearly done and stir it into the clams. Cook, stirring, until the pasta is tender and the mixture is saucy. Add more clam-cooking liquid (or hot water or white wine), if necessary. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding a little more oil if you like. Garnish, and serve.

MARK BITTMAN'S BOUILLABAISSE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees; brush bread liberally with olive oil, and bake on a sheet, turning once, until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Add enough olive oil to a Dutch oven, deep skillet or shallow pot to make a thick layer (don't skimp) on the bottom. In it, cook onion, garlic, celery, carrot, potato, fennel and saffron until glossy. Add stock and tomato and bring to a moderate boil; cook until thick and stewy rather than soupy. Season to taste; it should be so delicious that you don't even care whether you add fish.
• Lower heat to a simmer, and, as you add fish, adjust heat so that the liquid continues to bubble gently. Add fish in order of how long they will take to cook. Monkfish, striped bass and squid are fish that might require more than a few minutes, so add them first. About five minutes later add clams and mussels, holding back any fish that has been cooked or will cook in a flash. When mollusks open, add remaining fish. Cut scallops into quarters and place in the bottom of 4 bowls.
• Add pastis if you're using it; taste and adjust seasoning. Ladle hot soup and fish over the scallops, distributing clams and mussels evenly. Garnish and serve with croutons and rouille, if you're using.

CLAMS WITH PROSCIUTTO

Steps:

• Put the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot that can be covered. Add garlic and ham and stir. Add wine and clams.
• Cover and cook, shaking the pot occasionally, until the clams open, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley, and serve.

MARK BITTMAN'S CHICKEN AND RICE SOUP

Steps:

• Place stock in a large, deep saucepan and turn the heat to medium-high.
• when the stock is just about boiling turn the heat down to medium so that it bubbles but not too vigorously.
• Stir in the rice, celery, and carrot.
• Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
• Stir in the chicken. If raw, cook 5 to 8 minutes or until cooked.
• If chicken is cooked, cook 2 to 3 minutes or until hot.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• ** you can sub 1 cup cooked chicken for the raw, if desired.

CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• Wash clams well, scrubbing if necessary to remove external grit. Place them in a pot with half-cup water, and turn heat to high. Steam, shaking pot occasionally, until most of the clams are open, 7 to 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove clams to a broad bowl; reserve cooking liquid.
• When clams are cool enough to handle, shuck them over the bowl, catching every drop of their liquid; discard shells. If any clams remain closed, use a thin-bladed knife to pry them open (it will be easy).
• Chop clams. Strain all liquid through a sieve lined with a paper towel or a couple of layers of cheesecloth. Measure liquid, and add enough water to make 3 1/2 cups.
• Combine liquid with onion and potato in saucepan; cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, keep covered, and cook until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the clams, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

CLAM SOUP - MARK BITTMAN

Steps:

• Prepare clams. Discard clams with broken shells or shells that are not tightly closed. Be sure to wash the clams thoroughly-no trace of sand should remain on their shells.
• Combine 5 cups water and the kombu in a large saucepan; turn the heat to medium and cook the kombu until tender, about 10 minutes, never letting the water come to a full boil.
• Remove and discard the kombu and add the clams, then cook just until the clams open, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the scallions, sake, soy sauce, sesame oil, and salt; taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve immediately.
• Any clams that do not open during the cooking process can be pried open with a dull knife at the table.

CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• Wash the clams well, scrubbing if necessary to remove external grit. (You can wash the clams hours or even a day in advance; keep them in a large bowl or colander set over a bowl, uncovered, in the refrigerator.) Put them in a pot with 1/2 cup of water and turn the heat to high. Steam, shaking the pot occasionally, until most of the clams are open, 7 to 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the clams to a broad bowl; reserve the cooking liquid.
• When the clams are cool enough to handle, shuck them over the bowl, catching every drop of their liquid; discard the shells. If any clams remain closed, use a thin-bladed knife to pry them open (it will be easy).
• Chop the clams. Strain all the liquid through a sieve lined with a paper towel or a couple of layers of cheesecloth. Measure the liquid and add enough water to make 3 1/2 cups. (You may prepare the dish in advance up to this point; refrigerate, covered, for up to a day before reheating.)
• Combine the liquid with the onion and potatoes in a saucepan; cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer, still covered, and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the clams, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.