ITALIAN CLAM TACOS

Italian Clam Tacos image

Provided by Damiano Carrara

Time 1h5m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 14

4 flour tortillas
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 avocado, chopped
1 bunch Italian parsley, chopped
1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound shrimp, deveined, in their shells
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup heavy cream
2 pounds fresh clams, rinsed
1 onion, chopped
Pinch cayenne pepper

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Brush the tortillas with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Bake until crisp, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
Add the cherry tomatoes, avocado and half of the parsley to a bowl and add the chile pepper flakes, 2 tablespoons olive oil and a third of the garlic. Stir together and set aside.
In a large saucepan, add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and the remaining parsley and garlic. Add the shrimp and cook until cooked through, about 2 minutes per side, then remove the shrimp from the pan. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and add the cream. Cook, covered, until it thickens like a sauce, about 4 minutes. Add the clams and cover. Cook over medium heat until the clams are fully opened, about 7 minutes. Peel the shrimp (reserve the shells) and remove the clams from their shells. Chop the shrimp and clams and reserve.
Fill a small pot halfway with water and add the onions, shrimp shells and some salt and bring to a simmer. Cook, 20 minutes, to make a broth. Strain the broth into the cream sauce to enhance the flavors. Add the cayenne.
Place 1 toasted tortilla on each of 4 plates. Top each with the shrimp and clam mixture add the tomato-avocado salsa. Finish with the cream sauce.