Sunday, April 15, 2007

Chicken and clams



It's been raining all day, big, fat, rain drops coupled with a fierce wind. It was the perfect day to lie in bed and read all day--sadly, that is not what I did. Since I had to go out anyway, I got a few groceries and made a proper dinner, another Sunday experiment.

There must be an Asian woman in the neighborhood who buys a dozen clams every weekend, because the fish guy at the Fort Greene farmers' market seemed to think I was her. A dozen clams IS sort of a funny quantity, but such a good one for me. I bought them on a whim, along with my usual turkey thighs from DiPalo's, and realized I had almost everything I needed "chicken and clams" from Bittman's "The Best Recipes in the World." It's precisely what it sounds like, chicken with clams, and some sauteed onions, garlic, chicken stock, and parsley. Skinless turkey thighs were not a good substitute, because they did get a little dry, but oh, I loved the clams. The soupy, briny sauce, I ended up spooning directly into my mouth with an enormous ladle. A dozen clams supplies a surprising amount of meat, and for $5, a nice weekend treat.



I've been roasting potatoes in the way Marcella Hazan recommends for bluefish Genoese style--thinly sliced and tossed with olive oil, garlic, and parsley, in a cast-iron pan. You end up with all these lovely, crispy bits.



And one of my favorite salads, roasted beets with haloumi cheese, drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice, with a little parsley for color.

If only I could stay in bed all day tomorrow.

2 comments:

Dan Allen said...

Wow! Great blog. And to think I found it through the Blogger tool bar. Food is always an interesting subject, but you need someone who can write well to make it truly compelling.

And you're right, beer in the afternoon is a wonderful thing.

AppleSister said...

Thanks! I thought my friends were the only ones reading this blog, but it's a pleasant surprise to see it's out there.