Steamed Mussels Or Clams With Saffron Tomatoes And Pancetta Recipes

STEAMED CLAMS IN GARLIC SAFFRON BROTH

Steps:

• Crumble saffron into 1 cup of boiling water. Set aside to steep.
• Heat olive oil in a large, shallow saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and shallots, and cook until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add wine, and stir to loosen any bits from pan. Add reserved saffron broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and add clams, chopped tomato, and half the chopped parsley. Stir to combine. Cover, and let steam until clams are opened, 10 to 12 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining parsley and pepper, and serve immediately.

STEAMED MUSSELS WITH SAFFRON AND TOMATO

Steps:

• Rinse the mussels under cold running water while scrubbing with a vegetable brush. Remove the stringy mussel beards with your thumb and index finger as you wash them. Discard any mussels with broken shells. Heat a 2-count drizzle of oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion, garlic, tomato, and bay leaves until the vegetables cook down to a pulp, about 5 minutes. Stir in the "saffron tea," red pepper flakes, and curry. Add the mussels and give everything a good toss. Add the vermouth, lemon juice, and chicken stock; cover the pot and steam over medium-high heat for 10 minutes, until the mussels open. Stir occasionally so that all the mussels are in contact with the heat. Using a slotted spoon, remove the mussels to a warm serving bowl and cover. Pick out the bay leaves. If some of the pieces of vegetables are nestled in the shells, don't sweat it. The sauce itself is a snap. Add the butter to the pot of mussel broth and buzz it down with a handheld blender (you can also transfer it to a regular blender or food processor). What you want is a smooth, yellow sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the mussels and shower with parsley before serving. Impressive and uncomplicated.

MUSSELS AND CLAMS WITH SPICY TOMATO BROTH

Steps:

• 1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, bay leaves, and crushed red pepper and cook until the garlic is tender and the onions are soft, about 8 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a simmer. Add the tomatoes with juices, crushing the tomatoes through your fingers, and the chiles. Simmer until the tomatoes break down, about 10 minutes.
• 2. Preheat the broiler. Add the broth and simmer,10 minutes. Meanwhile, brush the bread generously with olive oil and toast under the broiler, about 20 seconds per side. Remove and rub vigorously with 1 clove raw garlic.
• 3. Stir in the clams. Cover and cook, about 8 minutes. Add the mussels, give the pot a good stir, cover, and continue cooking until all the mussels and clams open, about 5 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper.
• 4. Divide the mixture among 4 bowls, discarding any unopened shellfish. Garnish with parsley and serve with the toasted bread.

STEAMED CLAMS WITH BACON, TOMATO, AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Cook bacon in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is golden, about 6 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to break down and sauce thickens slightly, about 8 minutes.
• Increase heat to moderately high, then add clams and bring to a boil, covered. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until clams just open wide, about 6 minutes (discard clams that do not open after 10 minutes). Stir in spinach and cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.

STEAMED CLAMS WITH SAFFRON AND TOMATO

Steps:

• Combine vinegar and saffron in large pot.
• Stir over medium-low heat until saffron begins to release its color, about 1 minute.
• Add tomatoes, shallots, garlic, then both oils.
• Add clams to mixture.
• Cover and cook over high heat until clams open, about 8 minutes; discard any clams that do not open.
• Using tongs, divide clams among 4 bowls.
• Mix parsley leaves into cooking liquid.
• Season to taste with salt.
• Ladle cooking liquid over clams and serve with toast.

SIMPLE STEAMED CLAMS OR MUSSELS

Steps:

• Put the oil in a saucepan large enough to hold all the clams or mussels over medium heat. When hot, add the shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to soften, 5 minutes.
• Add the liquid along with the clams or mussels, turn the heat up to high, and cover the pot. Cook, shaking the pot occasionally, until they all (or nearly all) open, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat.
• Scoop the mussels into a serving bowl. Remove as many shallots as you can with a slotted spoon and scatter them on top. Pour or ladle off the accumulated liquid, leaving any sediment in the bottom of the pan, and pour it over the mussels. Garnish with parsley and serve with the lemon wedges.

STEAMED MUSSELS OR CLAMS WITH SAFFRON, TOMATOES AND PANCETTA

Steps:

• In a pot large enough to hold the clams, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and pancetta. When they begin to sizzle, add the vinegar, wine and saffron. Remove from the heat and let stand until the saffron begins to release its color. Add the tomatoes, pepper, parsley and clams. Cover with a lid and cook over high heat, shaking the pot occasionally, until the clams open. Divide the clams among 4 bowls and serve immediately.

STEAMED MUSSELS WITH WINE AND SAFFRON

Steps:

• Holding mussels under cool running water, scrub with a stiff sponge or vegetable brush, then debeard: grip the tough fibers extending from the shell and pull to remove. Discard beards.
• Steep saffron in wine for 10 minutes. (Saffron is soluble in water, not fat, so it won't release its color or flavor if added directly to the butter.) Meanwhile, melt butter over medium-high heat in a shallow stockpot. Once it's foamy, add shallots, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook until shallots are transparent and garlic is soft, about 3 minutes, stirring every so often to keep garlic from scorching. Pour in wine and saffron, then add tomatoes and return to a simmer, stirring once or twice.
• Add mussels and cover tightly. Cook until all mussels open, about 6 minutes, stirring once about halfway through. Discard any unopened mussels. If using wild mussels, strain broth through a cheesecloth-lined sieve to remove any sand, if necessary. Taste the broth and season with salt and pepper.
• Sprinkle with parsley before ladling mussels and broth into bowls.