Read The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook Online
Authors: The Editors at America's Test Kitchen
Tags: #Cooking
The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (44 page)
To cut kernels off an ear of corn without having them fly all over the kitchen counter, hold ear on its end inside large, wide bowl and use paring knife to cut off kernels.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
For the ultimate clam chowder recipe, we started with the clams. We found that medium-size, hard-shell clams guaranteed the most clam flavor. And rather than deal with the pain of shucking them raw, we simply steamed them open, pulling them out when they just started to open to guard against overcooking. We then used the steaming liquid as our broth. Yukon Gold potatoes, with their moderate levels of starch and moisture, worked best, releasing starch into the soup while also maintaining their shape. In lieu of the traditional salt pork, bacon gave our chowder the right subtle smokiness, and just 1 cup of heavy cream lent richness without diluting the flavor.
See “PREPARING CLAMS FOR CHOWDER” illustrations that follow recipe.
SERVES 6
Be sure to use fresh clams. This chowder uses a combination of the clam steaming liquid and bottled clam juice; a chowder made entirely from the clam steaming liquid will taste unpalatably salty. Serve with oyster crackers.
3 | cups water |
6 | pounds medium hard-shell clams, such as cherrystones, scrubbed |
2 | slices bacon, chopped fine |
2 | onions, chopped fine |
2 | celery ribs, chopped fine |
1 | teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves or ¹⁄ |
¹⁄ | cup all-purpose flour |
3 | (8-ounce) bottles clam juice |
1¹⁄ | pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ¹⁄ |
1 | bay leaf |
1 | cup heavy cream |
2 | tablespoons minced fresh parsley |
Salt and pepper |
1.
Bring water to boil in Dutch oven. Add clams, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Stir clams thoroughly, cover, and continue to cook until they just begin to open, 2 to 5 minutes. As clams open, transfer them to large bowl and let cool slightly. Discard any unopened clams.
2.
Measure out and reserve 2 cups clam steaming liquid, avoiding any gritty sediment that has settled on bottom of pot. Use paring knife to remove clam meat from shells and chop coarse.
3.
In clean Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in onions and celery and cook until vegetables are softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.
4.
Gradually whisk in bottled clam juice and reserved clam steaming liquid, scraping up any browned bits and smoothing out any lumps. Stir in potatoes and bay leaf and bring to boil. Reduce to gentle simmer and cook until potatoes are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
5.
Stir in cream and return to brief simmer. Off heat, remove bay leaf, stir in parsley, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in chopped clams, cover, and let stand until clams are warmed through, about 1 minute. Serve.
1.
Before cooking, use soft brush (sometimes sold as vegetable brush) to scrub away any bits of sand trapped in shells.
2.
Steam clams until they just open, as seen on left, rather than completely open, as shown on right.
3.
Carefully use paring knife to open steamed clams.
4.
Once open, discard top shell and use knife to cut clam from bottom shell.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Shrimp bisque recipes are usually tediously long and complicated, and are rarely worth the effort it takes to prepare them. We wanted a simple, rich, faultlessly smooth recipe, full of sweet shrimp flavor. Because shrimp shells are loaded with flavor, we sautéed both shells and meat, then pureed them together in a food processor and simmered this mixture in our soup base before straining out the solids. We found that flambéing the shrimp-shell mixture in brandy prior to processing extracted even more shrimp flavor. With the additions of cream, sherry, wine, and some tomatoes to cut through the richness, our bisque achieved a complex yet balanced flavor where the shrimp took center stage. Stirring in half a pound of shrimp at the end and poaching them until just cooked through lent texture and boosted the shrimp flavor to the next level.
SERVES 4 TO 6
Shrimp shells contribute a lot of flavor to the bisque, so be sure to purchase shell-on shrimp. Before flambéing, be sure to roll up long shirtsleeves, tie back long hair, and turn off the exhaust fan and any lit burners.
2 | pounds extra-large shell-on shrimp (21 to 25 per pound) |
3 | tablespoons olive oil |
¹⁄ | cup brandy or cognac, warmed |
2 | tablespoons unsalted butter |
1 | small carrot, chopped fine |
1 | small celery rib, chopped fine |
1 | small onion, chopped fine |
1 | garlic clove, minced |
¹⁄ | cup all-purpose flour |
4 | (8-ounce) bottles clam juice |
1¹⁄ | cups dry white wine |
1 | (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained |
1 | cup heavy cream |
1 | tablespoon lemon juice |
1 | sprig fresh tarragon |
Pinch cayenne pepper | |
2 | tablespoons dry sherry or Madeira |
Salt and pepper |
1.
Peel
¹⁄
2
pound shrimp, reserving shells, and cut each peeled shrimp into thirds and set aside. Pat dry reserved shells and remaining unpeeled shrimp with paper towels.
2.
Heat 12-inch skillet over high heat until very hot, about 3 minutes. Add 1¹⁄
2
tablespoons oil and swirl to coat bottom of pan. Add half of shell-on shrimp and half of reserved shells and cook until shrimp are deep pink and shells are lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer shrimp to medium bowl and repeat with remaining 1¹⁄
2
tablespoons oil, shell-on shrimp, and shells. Return first batch of shrimp to skillet. Off heat, pour brandy over shrimp and let warm through, about 5 seconds. Wave lit match over pan until brandy ignites, then shake pan to distribute flames. When flames subside, transfer shrimp and shells to food processor and process until mixture resembles fine meal, about 10 seconds.
3.
Heat butter in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add carrot, celery, onion, garlic, and ground shrimp and shells. Cover and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are slightly softened and mixture is fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Stir in clam juice, wine, and tomatoes, scraping pan bottom with wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits. Cover, increase heat to medium-high, and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring frequently, until soup is thickened and flavors meld, about 20 minutes.
4.
Strain bisque through fine-mesh strainer into medium bowl, pressing on solids
to extract as much liquid as possible. Wash and dry Dutch oven, return strained bisque to pot, and stir in cream, lemon juice, tarragon, and cayenne. Bring to simmer over medium-high heat. Add reserved peeled and cut shrimp and simmer until shrimp are firm but tender, about 1¹⁄
2
minutes. Discard tarragon, stir in sherry, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.
