by gingerroot
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hardlikearmour's Testing Notes:
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Expand1 large ripe tomato Ask a question about this ingredient
3 stalks fennel (remove excess fronds) Ask a question about this ingredient
1 Thai bird chili Ask a question about this ingredient
extra virgin olive oil Ask a question about this ingredient
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Ask a question about this stepCore tomato and score the bottom with a small “x.” Blanch tomato by plunging into boiling water for 10 seconds, followed by an ice bath. Slip off skins and discard. Quarter the tomato and puree (including seeds) in a blender until smooth. Using a thin tea towel or 4 layers of cheesecloth set over a glass measuring cup (I used a rubber band to secure), pour puree over and allow tomato “water” to begin collecting in the glass. Set glass aside.
Ask a question about this stepOn a large baking sheet, season fennel stalks with a few good glugs of olive oil and two pinches of sea salt. Roast for 13-15 minutes until softened and fragrant. Cool for a bit, and then cut stalks in half and place in blender (since tomato and fennel will be eventually mixed, I did not clean out my blender). Pour any oil from baking sheet into top of blender and puree, using a spatula to scrape down the sides. The stalks are fibrous so need a bit of patience to puree. Add up to 1 ounce of water to help with this process.
Ask a question about this stepCheck on your tomato water, using a clean spatula to carefully help press the water out from the pulp. You want to end up with ¼ cup of tomato water. My water did have a slight pink tinge to it. Discard solids.
Ask a question about this stepRepeat the process with the fennel puree, using the same piece of cheesecloth and measuring cup. You want ¼ cup of fennel water (or a total of ½ cup of tomato - fennel water). Discard solids.
Ask a question about this stepCut off the end of the chili. Remove most of the seeds. Add chili to tomato-fennel water and cover cup with plastic. Refrigerate. Remove chili after one to two hours and discard. Return mixture to fridge and continue to chill overnight.
Ask a question about this step1 lb Manila clams Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2 cup thinly sliced spring onions (can substitute scallions) Ask a question about this ingredient
3 garlic cloves, minced Ask a question about this ingredient
1 tablespoon olive oil Ask a question about this ingredient
1 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter Ask a question about this ingredient
3/4 cups dry vermouth Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2 cup tomato-fennel water Ask a question about this ingredient
1/4 cup finely chopped sun dried tomato Ask a question about this ingredient
3 tablespoons oil cured black olives Ask a question about this ingredient
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley Ask a question about this ingredient
Inspect clams and discard any that are chipped or ones that are open and do not close after you tap them. Clean clams by placing them in a bowl of cold water for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove each clam, scrub the shell and discard the water. Rinse out bowl and replace clams. Set aside.
Ask a question about this stepStart your pasta water.
Ask a question about this stepHeat olive oil and butter in a large (12 inch) skillet (with a lid) over medium heat. Add spring onions and garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant and softened about 2 minutes. Add vermouth and tomato-fennel water. Cook mixture for a minute. Add clams. Close lid and let steam for 7-10 minutes (liquid should be simmering). Stir clams once while cooking.
Ask a question about this stepCook your pasta. Capellini takes about 4-5 minutes.
Ask a question about this stepDrain pasta and place in serving bowl. Toss pasta with sundried tomatoes, black olives and parsley.
Ask a question about this stepCooked clams will open. Discard any clams that are still closed after cooking. Ladle boozy broth and clams over pasta, tossing to combine. Serve immediately and enjoy with crusty bread.
Ask a question about this stepThis looks delicious!
Thanks, zest in the midwest!
tomato fennel--great idea. looks fantastic and date worthy!
Thanks, Eda! It comes together easily with lots of flavor, for relatively little effort.
Thanks mrslarkin! : )
This sounds amazing, and your instructions are perfect. Do you use sweet or dry vermouth?
Thanks so much hardlikearmour! If you like clams, I hope you try it. Oh, and I used dry vermouth - thanks for that too, I edited my recipe above.
VERY cool process on the tomato-fennel water! I will try it this summer when my (hopefully bountiful) tomato crop comes in. This dish looks amazing!!
Thanks aargersi! I hope you do try it - I have to say, remembering your recipes from last summer, I have tomato envy. : )
Love this. Sounds better than anything I've had in the North End!
Aw, thanks so much Midge! Since it was my first time cooking clams I was a little worried - when I bought them, I thought, are they alive (tap tap)? And again before cooking, are they still alive? But it all worked out and I was happy that they all opened and were delicious.
Chef Michael Kiss is the Cooking Coach at Whole Foods Market in Rockville, Md.
NOTE: Whoops, I just noticed an error, olives should be pitted and finely chopped (about 8-10 olives) for 3 tablespoons.