Clams with Chorizo, Tomato, and Garlic

Ever since my first experience with clams at the Crab Pot in Seattle, I have been eager to learn how to make them at home. I'm a huge expiration date/food spoiling freak and am always scared that I some how will manage to give myself food poisoning. So, I asked my mom to help me cook up my first batch.

I searched online for linguine with clams recipes but stopped when I found a recipe for clams in a tomato broth. I had recently eaten a similar dish in San Francisco and immediately started salivating while having the flashback.

Being that we were in Seattle, which gives Boston a run for its money for Seafood capital, I figured it was "safe" to attempt my first clam dish. We drove up to Central Market in Poulsbo (an EXCELLENT market if you are ever in the area) and gathered up 4 pounds of fresh clams.

This recipe is perfect for a cold, rainy day. The tomato broth is just begging to be soaked up with warm crusty rustic bread. The chorizo manages to eliminate any fishy taste without being overpowering. Go ahead, you know you want to try it.....

Clams with Chorizo, Tomato, and Garlic

(Adapted from Gourmet Magazine, 2002)

Ingredients:

- 2 garlic cloves, minced

- 3/4 cup of dry white wine

- 1/4 lb Spanish chorizo, diced into small pieces (about 3/4 cup)

- 2 tablespoons olive oil

- 2 14-oz cans stewed tomatoes

- 4 lb clams (2 inches in diameter), scrubbed

- crusty bread

1. Cook garlic and chorizo in oil in a large heavy pot (I used a stock pot) over moderate heat, stirring occasionally until the garlic is golden (about 1 to 2 minutes). 

2. Add tomatoes and bring to a simmer, breaking up any large pieces.

3. Add wine and let simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally until the sauce is thickened (about 15 minutes).

4. Stir in clams and cook over moderately high heat, stirring once, until clams open, about 9 to 12 minutes. IMPORTANT: Discard any that have no opened after 12 minutes. Serve immediately.

*Can refrigerate the leftovers (if there are any!) and eat reheat the next day

(Please excuse the picture quality, I was using the camera on my phone)