Tyler Florence's Real Kitchen_ An Indesp - Tyler Florence [35]
Serves 6 to 8
2 dozen littleneck clams
2 dozen cherrystone clams
1 quart water
2 garlic cloves, smashed
2 bay leaves
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3-ounce piece salt pork
1 celery stalk, diced
1 onion, diced
Leaves from 10 sprigs fresh thyme
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
Freshly ground black pepper
Dash of Tabasco sauce
¼ bunch fresh chives, minced
Wash and scrub the clams to get rid of the dirt. Set the littlenecks aside in the refrigerator, and combine the cherrystone clams with the water, garlic, and bay leaves in a large pot. Cover, and steam over medium-high heat until the clams have all popped open, about 15 minutes. Check every 5 minutes to pull out the clams that have opened (some take longer than others), and give the pot a stir. Pull the opened clams out of their shells and chop them roughly. Cover them and set aside. Pour the broth into a big bowl through a strainer that you’ve lined with cheesecloth, just in case there is leftover sand; set the broth aside. (I once lost the clam chowder world championship thanks to a little sand, so take the extra minute to do this step, because any grit in the base can ruin the entire dish.)
Rinse out the pot and melt the butter over medium heat. Add the salt pork, celery, onion, and thyme. Sauté this together for 5 minutes, until the vegetables soften. Sprinkle the flour into the pot; stir and coat everything well. Gradually pour in the strained clam broth, whisking constantly to break up any lumps of flour. When all the broth is incorporated, fold in the potatoes, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly for about 15 minutes. The soup will start to thicken from the potato starch.
Toss in the littleneck clams and cover the pot to let them steam open, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and fold in the chopped clams, cream, and milk. Season the soup with many turns of freshly ground black pepper and stir everything together to heat through, but do not let it boil. Serve this in nice big bowls with a dash of Tabasco sauce and some chives. Crusty bread is crucial for dunking. “Wicked good!” as they say in New England. And about that competition—I’ll be back next year with my cheesecloth. Judges, you’ve been warned.
Hot and Sour Noodle Bowl with Prawns and Asparagus
Hot and Sour Noodle Bowl
with Prawns and Asparagus
1 hour
I had this dish in a noodle shop in Australia. When I asked the Thai owner for the recipe, he had an odd reaction; out of nowhere this little guy pulls out a karate move and takes a swing at me. In the end, he chased me out of the kitchen with a cleaver, but not before I swiped the recipe. It was worth it. If you are not able to get your hands on kaffir lime leaves, up the lemongrass to 4 stalks. But do make the effort to try to find them in your area or look for them on the Internet; there really is no substitute for their amazing flavor.
Serves 4 to 6
24 large shrimp (about 2 to 2½ pounds), tails on
3 quarts Chicken Stock
2-inch piece fresh ginger, whacked open with the flat side of a knife
2 stalks lemongrass, white part only, whacked open with the flat side of a knife
6 kaffir lime leaves
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
2 teaspoons chili paste, such as sambal Juice of 1 lime
1 bunch asparagus, bottoms removed, split lengthwise
¼ pound shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, sliced
1 (1½-ounce) package cellophane noodles, blanched for 2 minutes in salted boiling water
Chopped peanuts, fresh cilantro leaves, and fresh mint leaves, for garnish
Peel and devein the shrimp. Set the shrimp aside and put the shrimp shells in a soup pot with the chicken stock. Add the ginger, lemongrass, and lime leaves to the pot; this is the flavor base. Stir in the brown sugar, fish sauce, chili paste, and lime juice. Let the soup simmer for 10 minutes, until your kitchen