April 19, 2004
Linguine in a clam, green garlic and saffron sauce
Tonight I made what is possibly the best pasta I have ever made. It started as one of those easy, regular standards: the sort of recipe you pull out when you did not get a chance to get to the store (Amalia took a 3 hour nap, so that killed the grocery expedition). Normally I do a very simple sauce of clams, white wine, garlic and parsley. However, not only did I not have anything to make a regular dinner with, I also used the last of my regular garlic yesterday. But I do have a drawer full of green garlic, so I figured I would use that.
It just did not seem right to simply use the green garlic as regular garlic. Certainly the dish would have been good, and the green garlic would have added something a little different, but it just seemed that green garlic demanded something a little better. So I started by sweating about six heads of green garlic (I use the heads with about two or three inches of the stalk, depending on the color, split lengthwise into quarters) in about three Tablespoons of unsalted cultured butter, a generous splash of water, a pinch of salt and a dash of white wine vinegar. I let it all simmer at very low heat in a covered saute pan. After 10 minutes, I transferred the whole mess to the food processor (or blender) and pureed it. In the same pan I sauteed two cans of minced clams in a Tablespoon of unsalted cultured butter (reserving the juice from the cans). After a minute or two, I added the clam juice, a shot of pastis (you could use Pernod, anisette, or Arak, too), the garlic puree, and a pinch of saffron and let the whole thing reduce. When the linguine neared the halfway point, I added about a half a cup of heavy cream to the sauce and let it thicken. I finished the pasta in the sauce and topped it with fresh chopped parsley and a sparse sprinkling of thinly sliced green garlic stocks. We served it with a Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley Johannesberg Riesling (a good wine, but too sweet for my taste. I would have prefered Bonny Doon's exceptional Pacific Rim Riesling).
I think I could live on this pasta alone for a long time.
Posted by erik at April 19, 2004 10:57 PM | TrackBackI don't blame you. It has been quite hot here too. I certainly do not want to boil water or fire up the oven.
Posted by: Erik Keilholtz at April 28, 2004 10:06 AMErik:
I have yet to try it. I didn't want to boil water during the last few days when we were pushing 95 in the good ol South Bay. I will try it sometime in the near future, as I have friends coming over for dinner on Thursday night.
RAM
Ryan, report please?!? Did you try it yet?
Posted by: Erik Keilholtz at April 27, 2004 11:20 PMRyan:
What wine matches with tater tots, hot dogs, and mac'n'cheese?
SC
Erik,
It is going to have to wait until tomorrow night, my roomate just called me and he said he was going to make dinner. I sure hope he is careful with the MAC and Cheese, Hot Dog, and Tater Tot casserole that he so loves.
As for a wine pairing, I think a nice white wine with some body would do the trick with this dish. Something like the Mondavi Fume Blanc in the frosted glass served really cold, would pair nicely with such an in your face type of pasta. Your thoughts.
RAM
Ryan, please report on the wine match, too, as I would like to hear about it.
If you are feeling insecure in your ability to judge your own food, feel free to bring three generous servings to 2512 13th Avenue, lower level, Oakland, CA 94606! I can set up a panel of experts in no time to give your dish a hearing!
Posted by: Erik Keilholtz at April 22, 2004 2:32 PMErik,
This recipie will be made tonight by me, I will give you a report in the morning.
RAM
Ryan,
Spaghetti would be fine. I would especially recommend Pici (find it at La Raccolta) or one of the spaghettis from my great grandmother's village (you know the fancy, paper-wrapped ones at Trader Joe's). The artisan pastas hold sauce much better, due to the extruders and rollers used.
Posted by: Erik Keilholtz at April 21, 2004 10:00 AMRyan:
Add some nice bright orange American Cheese--or maybe even Velveeta. Oo-la-la!
SC
yum!
Posted by: alicia at April 20, 2004 8:07 PMYou are getting quite inventive in the kitchen these days. I hope that no Broklyn Italians read this, as they would consider anything but the typical Linguine in clam sauce to be a sin and not a venial one. It sounds like a really good dish, perhaps I will have to give it a try...Can I use the regular spaghetti instead??? I think it soaks up the sauce a little better.
RAM