ZUPPA DE CLAMS

ZUPPA DE CLAMS image

Yield 4 people

Number Of Ingredients 12

48 littleneck clams or mix of little neck and cherry stones
4 tablespoons olive oil
4-6 cloves minced garlic
Crushed dried red pepper flakes, to taste
1 1/2 cup dry white wine
2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes (preferably San Marzano), with or without sauce, coarsely chopped or several pounds fresh plum tomatoes blanched, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup fine-chopped Italian parsley
Chopped fresh basil
A little Kosher salt from a shaker with big holes
Pepper
1 pound linguine or crusty French bread

Steps:

Buy the littlenecks the day you are going to use them, and refrigerate them until you're ready to cook. Consider covering them with water and a sprinkling of corn meal to help clean the sand out. When you're ready to begin, rinse the clams well in cold water and drain. Heat your oil in a large, heavy nonreactive skillet (that has a tight fitting lid) over medium heat. Add the garlic and pepper flakes. Saute about 5 minutes or until the garlic is soft but not browned. Add the wine and cook about 15 minutes or until liquid is reduced by about half. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves. Cover the skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 15 minutes. Add the clams and basil and cover again. Cook, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes or until the clams are wide open. (Check the clams after 5 or 10 minutes, but they make take longer to open. Salt and pepper to taste. Remove the bay leaves. Plate (or, technically, "bowl"), sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve over linguine or with bread. Makes 4 servings.