Here is a dinner that I get a craving for every now and then and feel a great satisfaction from upon preparing and eating.
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Perhaps it's the incredible nutrient value in clams and mussels. Perhaps it's that they're so easy to cook. Perhaps it's because a dish of mussels prepared in much the same fashion was the first meal I researched, tweaked, and cooked for myself at a time in my life when little victories were big victories.
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Whatever the reason, this is a simple, inexpensive, yummy meal.
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Here's what you'll need:
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~ One sauce pan with a well-fitting lid
~ Clams or mussels (in truth, I prefer the taste, appearance, and size of mussels, but I guess they're a relatively seasonal thing. When cooking for one, I find that around 10 clams or 15 mussels is an appropriate number. And mussels aren't called Famine Food for nothing - they're about fifty percent cheaper than clams)
~ Spaghetti sauce (any kind will do)
~ Dry white wine (I typically use Pinot Grigio, but tonight I used a Sauvignon blanc)
~ Bay leaves
~ Garlic
~ Thyme
~ Lemon juice (optional)
~ One loaf crusty, uncut bread (I was walking through Wegmans and was grabbed by the shirt front by the aroma of a freshly-baked Pan Italia loaf, so I grabbed one of those for $2)
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Get your clams or mussels home in an unsealed plastic bag (lest they suffocate) and place them in your fridge post haste. I learned today that the best way to keep them fresh and happy is by placing them in a collander in your fridge covered with a damp cloth.
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When you're ready to cook, rinse the clams or mussels in the sink. If any are open, tap the shell a few times. If it doesn't close, toss it out.
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Your sauce is going to consist of one part speghetti sauce to one part white wine. Do taste a little (wine, that is) while you're cooking. It's part of the recipe. Start that simmering. (Cooking for one, I use 1/2 cup wine to 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce.) As it's heating up, crush one or two cloves of garlic into it. Be sure to stir regularly. Add one or two bay leaves (depending on size) and add a touch of dried thyme. Adding a hint of lemon juice can give it an extra zing.
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Once the sauce starts bubbling nicely, add the clams or mussels one by one. Slap the lid on the pot and busy yourself for about four minutes. Wash dishes, check email, play with puppy, etc.
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Check to see if they're opening. Clams take about six minutes, mussels about four minutes.
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When the time is up, take them off the heat. Throw out any clams or mussels that don't open. Prepare your crusty bread by tearing it into chunks or cutting it into largish pieces. You'll want more bread than you'd expect, because the sauce is excellently flavored by the seafood.
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Place the clams or mussels in a bowl and pour the sauce over them. Eat each with a bite of bread, and use the remaining bread to eat up the remaining sauce!
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I paired (and cooked) tonight's dinner with a Chilean Sauvignon blanc by Viña Ventisquero. It was dry, citrussy, tasting faintly grassy and surprisingly sparkly on the tongue. It paired beautifully with this fresh-from-the-sea goodness!
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Tasty, simple, nutritious, inexpensive!
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Yours in the love of good food, wine, and the meal that started it all,
AL
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The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.
