CASSUOLA DI VONGOLE E COZZE ALL' ACQUA PAZZA

Cassuola di Vongole e Cozze all' Acqua Pazza image

Yield serves 4

Number Of Ingredients 12

4 fat cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 teaspoons fennel seeds, crushed
1/3 cup flat parsley leaves
1/3 cup plus about 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small, dried red chile pepper, crushed, or 1/3 to 1/2 teaspoon dried chile flakes
2 large ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 bottle dry white wine
2 pounds clams, purged of their sand by soaking for 1 hour in sea-salted water, then well scrubbed
2 pounds mussels, scrubbed, bearded, and rinsed
8 1/2-inch slices good country bread
2 tablespoons good red wine vinegar

Steps:

With a mezzaluna or a very sharp knife, mince the garlic, fennel, and parsley to a fine paste.
In a very large terra-cotta or enameled cast-iron casserole over a medium flame, warm 1/3 cup of the olive oil and very lightly sauté the paste in it. Add the chile, tomatoes, sea salt, and the wine, bringing all to a simmer. Lower the flame a bit and continue to cook for 5 minutes, reducing the wine and softening the tomatoes. Add the clams and mussels to the simmering sauce, poaching them until they are all opened.
Warm the remaining 1 cup of olive oil and brown the bread in it, letting it drain a moment on absorbent paper towels before placing it in a napkin-lined basket.
At just the point when all the shellfish have opened, remove the casserole from the flame, stir in the vinegar, and carry it to the table along with the basket of fried bread.