Best Scott Ures Clams And Garlic Recipes

PARCHMENT-COOKED FISH WITH MORELS, SPRING GARLIC, AND THYME

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place morel mushrooms in a dry skillet over medium heat and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms release their juice and the juice evaporates, about 5 minutes.
• Sprinkle halibut fillets with salt and black pepper on both sides.
• Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat and cook the halibut fillets until golden brown on the outside, about 2 minutes per side. Remove fish from skillet and set aside.
• Cook and stir garlic scapes in the same skillet used to cook fish until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat and stir morel mushrooms and thyme with the garlic scapes until combined.
• Fold a piece of parchment paper in half crosswise. Use scissors to cut a very large valentine-like heart shape out of the folded paper, as large as possible. Repeat with remaining parchment to make 4 large heart shapes.
• Open the heart shapes; brush right sides of the hearts with canola oil.
• Place 1/4 morel mushroom mixture in the left (unoiled) half of each heart. Place a halibut fillet on the mushroom mixture. Sprinkle fish with salt and black pepper.
• Fold the oiled right half of the heart over the fish. Fold about 1/4 inch of parchment paper over, starting at the rounded end, and work your way down to the point, folding as you go. Fold the edge over a second time to enclose fish and mushrooms in a bundle with a double-folded, sealed edge.
• Leave about 1/4 inch of the bottom point unfolded.
• Use a straw inserted into the open bottom to blow air into the bundle, making it puff up like a small balloon. Twist the bottom closed to enclose the air.
• Place parchment bundles on 2 baking sheets; don't let the bundles touch each other.
• Bake in the preheated oven until fish is no longer translucent in the center, about 15 minutes.
• To serve, plate each portion and carefully cut open the parchment to reveal the fish, mushrooms, and juices. Bundle will release hot steam when opened.

CLAMS WITH CELERY AND TOASTED GARLIC

Steps:

• Preferably using a natural bristle kitchen scrubber (a brand new kitchen sponge will work as well), scrub the clams well under running water. After the clams have been scrubbed and scrubbed again, let them hang out in a large bowl of cold water. This will allow any residual sediment or grit to free itself from the shells and settle at the bottom of the bowl while you do everything else.
• Heat oil, butter and chorizo or other pork product, if using, in a large pot (make sure it has a lid) over medium heat. Cook, swirling the pot occasionally until the butter has started to brown a little and the fat has begun to render from the pork, 3 to 4 minutes. (The pork won't be crispy, but that's O.K.; you're not looking for that.)
• Add the garlic and cook, stirring a minute or two until it begins to take on a toasty, light golden-brown color. Add wine and cook, letting it simmer until it's a little more than halfway reduced, 2 to 3 minutes. Add celery and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until the celery is bright green and just tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add clams and shake the pot so they settle nicely. Place the lid on the pot and give it the occasional shake, letting them steam open and release their juices, 3 to 5 minutes. (Larger clams will take longer.) The shaking of the pot is not only fun to do, but it gives all the clams quality time with the hottest part of the pot, which will encourage them to open around the same time, although there's always one or two clams late to the party. If there's one that just never makes it to the party (as in, it never opens), it's dead and should be thrown away.
• Toss the parsley, chives and celery leaves in a small bowl, then add lemon or lime zest and juice, and season with salt and pepper. Serve the clams with a hunk of crusty fresh bread or thick slices of toast that have been drizzled with lots of olive oil and rubbed with a cut clove of garlic, scattering the parsley mixture over everything.