Green Curry Clams
With a nod to Julia Sullivan, from Nashville's Henrietta Red, who roasts oysters in a green curry butter sauce. This recipe makes enough butter for our 5 lb bags of clams... with maybe some left for your toast the next morning.
Ingredients
1 lb butter, room temperature
1 Tbsp green curry paste (we like Thai Kitchen)
1 Tbsp chopped preserved lemon peels
4 Tbsp freshly chopped garlic
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp prepared horseradish
1 tsp soy sauce or tamari (skip if you're salt sensitive)
1 tsp lemon juice
1 cup mixed chopped herbs, whatever you have in the garden, picked off the stems. Try parsley, dill, cilantro, basil, thai basil, oregano, thyme - but not sage or rosemary
2 oz olive oil (sub sesame oil if that's your jam)
steamer clams, 1 to 2 pounds per person (either manila or savory)
white wine for steaming (~4 oz per pound of clams... use less if you don't need a soupy broth)
bread for dipping
Butter Procedure
In a food processor, blend all ingredients except the butter and the olive oil.
Once a paste is formed, drizzle the oil in until the mixture becomes smooth.
Add the butter in big knobs, pulsing to evenly distribute. At this point, if you aren't opposed to making more dirty dishes, you can transfer the mix to a paddle mixer. The longer you mix it the fluffier it'll be... we like it to be bright green marshmallow fluff!
Season to taste... check for salt and acidity in particular. Add more lemon juice if needed.
Clam Action
Put a generous scoop of butter in a pot (any pot will do, make sure it has a lid and is big enough so you'll be able to stir the clams you're going to steam). Add some veggies if you like... fresh thyme, kale from the garden & leeks. Once everything is sizzling and soft add the clams and wine. Cover and let the clams steam.
Remove from heat once the clams have opened (see our tips for steaming clams). Transfer the clams to serving bowls with a slotted spoon, and then ladle the buttery kale & white wine broth over each bowl.
Serve with toasty bread and a smile!