For the second week in a row clams are available at $2.99 a dozen
For the second week in a row I shall make macaroni and clam sauce.
Last week I did this over fettuccine (we prefer that to the similar but thinner linguini). This week it will be over angel hair.
The recipe is simple.
Put on your macaroni water and let it come to a boil. Drop the macaroni when appropriate so it is done a minute or two after the sauce. Read on for an idea of how much time the sauce takes.
Live clams. (You can also use frozen clams, but they have a "taste" to them sometimes, or canned, which is what we normally do.) Depending on size, at least a dozen. I am using two dozen tonight. Scrub the clams with a stiff brush to remove any mud or sand residue. Put the clams in a big pot with a tight fitting lid. Add about a half to three quarters of a cup of white wine. You can also use water. Set them on the fire, covered, until the clams open. Maybe 3 to 5 minutes, again depending on the size of the clams. You will see a few actually open and the rest will seem to be closed. That's okay. A little undercooked is better than overcooked.
Using a clam knife or reasonable substitute, pop the clams open and catch the liquid back into the cooking pot. That liquid is your sauce. Shuck all the clams and toss the shells. Put the clam meat in a bowl as you shuck. When done (5 minutes or so, depending on how many clams you cooked), chop the clams in a nice, large dice. The joy of using fresh clams is big pieces of clam meat. Put the chopped clams back in the bowl and set them aside.
Strain the cooking liquid through a wire mesh strainer. Do this slowly and watch the liquid. There is probably some sand in the bottom. Don't try for the last drop (at this point you have way too much broth for the sauce). Discard the sandy remains. Pull off about a cup to a cup and a half of the liquid and hold that for the sauce. Put the rest into a container for the freezer. We'll talk later about what to do with it.
(This might be a good time to drop the macaroni. Unless it cooks fast, like angel hair.)
Swish out the clam pot with tap water to remove any sand in the bottom. Add some olive oil. Saute some chopped garlic (to taste). Let it go till translucent but not at all browned. Add a quarter cup or so of chopped fresh parsley. You can also add chopped fresh oregano if that's your fancy. Let this all go for a minute or so. Now add the clam liquid
If the macaroni is done, drain it and add it to the pot. If it is not done, take clam pot off the fire so as not to burn or overcook anything.
Mix the macaroni and clam sauce in the pot just until the macaroni is more or less coated. Transfer to a serving bowl. Pour on a good two to four tablespoons of olive oil and some more of the herbs, raw this time.
That's it. Enjoy.
That clam juice that's left is a great ingredient in a risotto. Or any other of a thousand uses!
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