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Yield: 1 pound compound butter

Note: The reserved garlic oil can be saved for other uses. Store in the refrigerator for no longer than 1 month.

Software For Herbed Compound Butter:

1 teaspoon olive oil

4 tablespoons minced shallots

¼ cup white wine

2 tablespoons finely chopped

parsley (see Note)

1 pound unsalted butter, softened

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons basil cut into fine

chiffonade

For hed Garlic

Compound Butter:

3 heads of garlic, broken into cloves

and peeled

Vegetable oil

¾ pound unsalted butter, softened

3 tablespoons white wine

Kosher salt

Freshly ground white pepper

Hardware :

Sauté pan or small sauce pan

Electric mixer with paddle attachment

Rubber spatula

Waxed paper

Plastic wrap

Permanent marker

Clam Sauce (White)

Best served with linguini—and a great crusty bread for soaking up the sauce.

Application: Steaming, Sautéing , Simmering

Rinse the clams under cold water to remove any sand or mud. Commercial clams are usually pretty clean, but it’s still good practice to wash them. Pour the wine and clam juice into the pot and set the basket in it. Place the clams in the basket in as even a layer as possible. Turn the heat to high and put the lid on the pot loosely or the liquid will boil up and over. Keep your eyes on the pot. Once the liquid is creating steam well, remove the lid. Using tongs, pull the clams out and transfer to a large bowl as they open. Once they’ve all opened, remove the pot from the heat. Strain the liquid and reserve for use in the sauce. Pull the clam meat from the shells.

For the sauce: Heat a small sauce pan and add some oil. Sauté the onion and garlic until fragrant. Add the wine and cook until almost dry. Add the reserved liquid and bring to a simmer. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. Toss in the parsley and cheese. Finish by stirring in the poached garlic compound butter and clam meat.

Yield: enough sauce for 4 servings of pasta

Software for the clams :

40 littleneck clams

½ cup white wine

1 (8-ounce) bottle clam juice

For the sauce :

Olive oil

½ medium onion, diced

2 tablespoons minced garlic

¼ cup white wine

1 cup reserved liquid from

steaming clams

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup chopped parsley

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon Poached Garlic Compound Butter

Hardware :

Heavy pot with lid

Steamer basket

Tongs

Large bowl

Fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth

or coffee filter

Small sauce pan

Wooden spoon

Clam Sauce (Red)

Most of the red sauces you come across in restaurants are something like Manhattan chowder poured over pasta. This one is more like a fresh tomato pan sauce with clams—best with angel hair pasta.

Application: Steaming, Sautéing , Simmering

Prepare the steamed clams following the method described on the opposite page.

For the sauce: Heat the sauté pan and add the oil. Sauté the garlic briefly, until just colored then add the chile flakes. After just a second, the oils in the chile flakes will be released—look out though, chile flakes can burn in a hurry. Add the tomatoes and cook until just softened. Add enough of the reserved liquid to make the sauce a consistency you like. Season with salt and pepper, add the herbs, then bring the sauce together by stirring in the poached garlic butter. Add the clam meat.

Yield: enough sauce for 4 servings of pasta

Software :

40 steamed littleneck clams

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 heaping tablespoons minced garlic

Pinch of chile flakes

3 ripe plum tomatoes, seeded

and diced (about 1 cup)

About ½ cup reserved liquid from

steaming clams

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon fresh basil, cut into fine

chiffonade

1 tablespoon oregano, leaves only

1 tablespoon Poached Garlic Compound Butter

Hardware :

Sauté pan

Wooden spoon

Hollandaise Takes a Holiday

I’ve suffered more failed hollandaise sauces than I can count.