There is nothing I love more than unpretentious foods.
The sort of foods where what you see is what you get and because you begin with the freshest of Nature's bounty, the result is inevitably just that - honest, delicious food!
My first introduction to the both clams and the process of charring vegetables for the wonderfully smoky flavor began young. Growing up, we had a lady who worked in our home. She was stunning & had such grace about her that from day one, Mum called her Sundari which means beautiful and the name stuck for the next 30 years no one in her family or the neighborhood ever refered to her by any other name.
Though she was technically a maid in our household there was nothing maid -like about the way she carried herself. She was very much a part of our family and had no qualms about reprimanding my Mum for something she's done in 'her' kitchen or expressing her displeasure at some of my shady choice of friends during my teenage years.
Finally, when I came home with 'the boy' that I wanted to marry, she asked Mum to 'produce this boy' in front of her - the one who wants to marry 'baby' (never mind that I was 25 years old!) So began his (Mr. Hubby's) interview who to date remembers that not only did he have to withstand the 'Spanish inquisition' from my own father but also from the maid as well as the dobermann!
Anyway, in addition to to being quite the matriarchal figure head, Sundari was also a superlative cook & when Mum & Dad were traveling for work as they sometimes were, Sundari & I would let loose our cooking inhibitions & cook up all kinds of adventurous things - smelly stuff with dried fish and slimy fish and tiny crabs and what not with Mum & Dad being non the wiser.
Sundari also made a fantastic chicken preparation by charring dried coconut which was then ground into a masala paste. Besides that we would commonly char eggplants for various dishes. So the process of charring vegetables is not new to me and comes with fond memories in tow.
However, a decade or so ago when I came across Mark Miller's spin on a Portuguese soup using charred tomatoes, I was intrigued. Once having fixed the soup, I was hooked! It has been a staple in our kitchen ever since and nothing beats this soup when you just want some honest to goodness grub!
Gather the ingredients,
Clams - Soak the clams and covered with tap water with 1 tbs cornmeal and set aside for 1 hour to get rid of excess sand. Get rid of the dirty water and sedimentation at the bottom of the bowl. Scrub the clams clean and cover with fresh water in a bowl until ready to use.
Tomatoes: Using tongs or a meat fork, char the tomatoes on open flame on the stove until charred on all sides. This can also be done in a broiler in the oven about 10-15 minutes turning over half way. Allow the tomatoes to slightly cool. Puree in a blender and set aside.
Onion - Peel, discard skin & ends. Chop and set aside.
Potatoes – Wash, discard any buds or discoloration on the potatoes. Dice into ½” squares and set aside.
Andouille sausage - Slice diagonally into 1/8" thick slices. Set aside.
Chorizo: Remove from the casings. Shred the meat with fingers and set aside.
In a large saute pan, on medium heat, (large enough to hold all the stock & clams) add 1 tbs olive oil. Heat for about 30 seconds and add the onions. Saute for about a minute. Add the chorizo sausage and saute.
Use a large metal spoon and break up the chorizo as best you can. Stir off and on and saute for about 5-6 minutes until the sausage is golden brown and the fat begins to simmer around the edges.
Add the potatoes & continue to saute for another 2-3 minutes.
To the sauteed potatoes, add the tomatoes. Stir until combined.
Add the clam juice or fish stock & chicken stock. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Cover with a tight fitting lid and cook for about 15 minutes until the potatoes are soft.
Meanwhile in a non-stick sauce pan, add 1 tbs olive oil and heat. Add the sliced sausage and saute for about 5-6 minutes until the sausage is golden brown on both sides.
To the now simmering stock, add the scrubbed cleaned clams and fried sausage.
With the large metal spoon, nudge the clams around to make room so all the clams are immersed in the soup.
Cover with a tight fitting lid and cook for 10 minutes. With a spoon re arrange the clams so the opened ones are now at the top of the pan while the closed clams are at the bottom in the soup.
Add cornmeal and cover with a lid & cook for another 5-10 minutes until the clams have opened. Discard any clams that have not.
Taste and adjust seasonings. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro leaves.
Enjoy with some crusty bread!
The clams, the smoky flavor from the tomatoes all pairs beautifully with the spicy sausage and the potatoes absorb the flavors from the soup. Here is a soup with a burst of flavor in every bite!
Recipe for
Portuguese Style Stewed Clams, Andouille sausage & Chorizo Soup
Preparation time - 20 minutes
Cooking time - 20 minutes
Serves 4-6
Shopping list
18-20 little neck clams
1 medium yellow onion
1 qty 15 oz can crushed tomatoes
5-6 medium red potatoes
1 tbs chopped garlic
2 qty bulk hot chorizo sausage
2 qty bulk mild chorizo sausage
2-3 chicken or pork Andouille sausage or
linguica
1 bottle clam juice or 1-1/2 cups fish stock
2 cups chicken stock
2-3 tbs olive oil
2 tbs cornmeal to thicken soup
2 tbs fresh cilantro, chopped for garnish
Preparation:
Clams - Soak the clams and covered with tap water with 1 tbs cornmeal and set aside for 1 hour to get rid of excess sand. Get rid of the dirty water and sedimentation at the bottom of the bowl. Scrub the clams clean and cover with fresh water in a bowl until ready to use.
Tomatoes: Using tongs or a meat fork, char the tomatoes on open flame on the stove until charred on all sides. This can also be done in a broiler in the oven about 10-15 minutes turning over half way. Allow the tomatoes to slightly cool. Puree in a blender and set aside.
Onion - Peel, discard skin & ends. Chop and set aside.
Potatoes – Wash, discard any buds or discoloration on the potatoes. Dice into ½” squares and set aside.
Andouille sausage - Slice diagonally into 1/8" thick slices. Set aside.
Chorizo: Remove from the casings. Shred the meat with fingers and set aside.
Method:
In a large saute pan, on medium heat, (large enough to hold all the stock & clams) add 1 tbs olive oil. Heat for about 30 seconds and add the onions. Saute for about a minute. Add the chorizo sausage and saute.
Use a large metal spoon and break up the chorizo as best you can. Stir off and on and saute for about 5-6 minutes until the sausage is golden brown and the fat begins to simmer around the edges.
Add the potatoes & continue to saute for another 2-3 minutes.
To the sauteed potatoes, add the tomatoes. Stir until combined.
Add the clam juice or fish stock & chicken stock. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Cover with a tight fitting lid and cook for about 15 minutes until the potatoes are soft.
Add the clam juice or fish stock & chicken stock. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Cover with a tight fitting lid and cook for about 15 minutes until the potatoes are soft.
Meanwhile in a non-stick sauce pan, add 1 tbs olive oil and heat. Add the sliced sausage and saute for about 5-6 minutes until the sausage is golden brown on both sides.
To the now simmering stock, add the scrubbed cleaned clams and fried sausage.
With the large metal spoon, nudge the clams around to make room so all the clams are immersed in the soup.
Cover with a tight fitting lid and cook for 10 minutes. With a spoon re arrange the clams so the opened ones are now at the top of the pan while the closed clams are at the bottom in the soup.
Add cornmeal and cover with a lid & cook for another 5-10 minutes until the clams have opened. Discard any clams that have not.
Taste and adjust seasonings. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro leaves.
Enjoy with some crusty bread!
