3977. CLAM CHOWDER with BACON and CROUTONS

Yields 6 servings

1/4 cup (60 mL) butter

2 onions, finely chopped

1/4 cup (60 mL) all-purpose flour

4 cups (1 L) milk

3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

1 tsp (5 mL) dried thyme

1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt

1/4 tsp (1 mL) pepper

2 cans (5 oz/142 g each) clams with juices

Garnish:

6 slices bacon, cooked crisp and chopped

1/2 cup (125 mL) bread croutons

3 green onions, chopped

Melt butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add onions. Cook until fragrant but do not brown. Add flour. Cook over medium low heat, stirring, for 5 min. Cool slightly.

Whisk in milk. Bring to a boil. Add potatoes, thyme, salt and pepper. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until potatoes are tender (about 20 min).

Add clams and juices and heat thoroughly. Do not boil. Taste and add seasoning, if necessary.

Serve garnished with green onions, bacon bits and croutons.

bacon recipe source: Dairy Goodness (@100CanadianMilk), 1801 McGill College Avenue, Suite 700, Montreal, QC, H3A 2N4

3622. LITTLENECK CLAMS in BACON INFUSED CREAM

serves eight


Bacon Infused Cream
3 slices of center cut bacon
2 cups whipping cream

 

Fish Stock

¼ cup olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 fennel bulb, finely chopped

1 leek, finely chopped

2 pounds fish head and bones (cut into 2 inch pieces)

1 bottle (750 ml) of dry white wine

8 cups of water

1 bunch of parsley stems

8 sprigs of thyme

Salt to taste

 

Clams

4 garlic cloves, minced

24 littleneck clams

splash of sherry

 

Saute center cut bacon in frying ban until browned and crispy, approximately 12-15 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to cream and refrigerate overnight. Heat olive oil on medium high heat. Add onion, shallot, fennel, leek and fish heads and bones and saute for about 15 minutes until vegetables are softened. Add wine and bring to boil. Simmer for 20 minutes until wine is reduced by half. Add 8 cups of water and parsley and thyme. Bring back to a boil and simmer for 30 more minutes. Strain through fine colander. Salt to taste. If not using immediately, refrigerate or freeze fish stock (Will last up to 2 months in freezer). In a dutch oven, saute garlic until lightly browned. Add 2 cups of fish stock and bring to a boil. Add littleneck clams and cook for approximately 8 minutes, stirring occasionally until clams open. Discard any clams that have not opened. Add bacon infused cream and a splash of sherry. Serve immediately.

 

 

bacon recipe source: Julie du Pont, Weekend Table, August 18, 2013

3609. CLAMS with FRIED CILANTRO, GINGER, GARLIC and BACON

yields four servings


4 pounds live butter clams (or other hardshell clams, like littlenecks), washed
1 cup water
1 tablespoon sweet butter
4 garlic cloves, peeled, julienned
A 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled, julienned, cut into 1” lengths
1 small bunch cilantro, leaves only
10 shallots, peeled, julienned
4 slices of bacon, finely minced
2 cups safflower oil for frying
Olive oil

Steam the clams with the water and butter in a covered pan for 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and keep covered. On a medium flame fry the garlic, ginger, cilantro, shallots, and bacon separately in the safflower oil. They will lightly brown in seconds so stand ready with a slotted spoon. The ginger takes the longest, but that means 10 seconds. The bacon is done in literally a blink of an eye. When the cilantro leaves turn dark green; it's done. Drain each on a paper towel.

Save the clam nectar to use later. Discard one shell from each clam. On a single platter or individual plates, place the clams on their half shells. Drizzle with olive oil. Scatter the fried garlic, ginger, cilantro, shallots and bacon over the clams. Serve warm and eat by hand.


bacon recipe source: David Latt, The New York Times / Cooking (@nytfood)

3454. SEAFOOD MAPLE BACON DASHI BOUILLABAISE

½ cup bonito flakes
30 grams kombu
1 liter water
150 ml maple syrup
200 grams (~1/2 lb.) double smoked bacon
1 cup carrots, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 lb. russet potatoes, peeled and diced
4 cloves of garlic, sliced
3 shallots, diced
2 cups 35% cooking cream
1 cup 3.25% milk
½ lb. littleneck clams
3 lbs. hake fish
micro arugula
parsley
chervil
olive oil

Wipe away any dirt from the kombu with a paper towel, being careful not to rub off the white powdery deposits on the seaweed. Place the kombu and water in a saucepan, and allow it to soak for 30 minutes to become soft.

Remove the kombu from the water, and cut several lengthwise slits into the leaf. Return the kombu to the water with maple syrup, and bring it to a boil. As soon as the water begins to boil, remove the kombu to prevent the stock from becoming bitter.

Stir the bonito flakes into the kombu-flavoured water, bring back to a boil, and take the pan off the heat. Allow the water to cool. When the bonito flakes have settled to the bottom, strain the dashi through a strainer lined with cheesecloth or a coffee filter.

In another pot, render the bacon and add the potatoes, carrots, shallots, garlic and celery.  Add stock and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until potatoes are almost tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

Add thicker pieces of fish to soup and simmer, covered, 2 minutes. Stir in clams and simmer, covered, until they are just cooked through and clams open wide, about 5 minutes.

Add cream and milk bring to a boil.  Carefully remove the fish and clams to a soup bowl and ladle broth and vegetables on top.

Garnish with chervil, parsley and chives and a drizzle of olive oil.


bacon recipe source: Chef Danny Smiles, Canada AM, May 27, 2014; CTV Television Network, P.O. Box 9, Station O, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4A 2M9

3396. THE BEST CLAM CHOWDER

yields 8-10 servings


24 medium-size quahog clams, usually rated "top neck" or "cherrystone," rinsed
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 lb. slab bacon or salt pork, diced
2 leeks, tops removed, halved and cleaned, then sliced into half moons
3 large Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
2 cups cream
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Put the clams in a large, heavy Dutch oven, add about 4 cups of water, then set over medium-high heat. Cover, and cook until clams have opened, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. (Clams that fail to open after 15 to 20 minutes should be discarded). Strain clam broth through a sieve lined with cheesecloth or doubled-up paper towels, and set aside. Remove clams from shells, and set aside as well.

Rinse out the pot, and return it to the stove. Add butter, and turn heat to medium-low. Add bacon, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the bacon has started to brown, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove bacon from fat, and set aside.

Add the leeks to the fat, and cook, stirring frequently, until they are soft but not brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in potatoes and wine, and continue cooking until wine has evaporated and the potatoes have just started to soften, approximately 5 minutes. Add enough clam broth to just cover the potatoes, approximately 3 cups, reserving the rest for another use. Add the thyme and the bay leaf.

Partly cover the pot, and simmer gently until potatoes are tender, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, chop the clams into bits about the size of the bacon dice.

When potatoes are tender, add cream and stir in chopped clams and reserved bacon. Add black pepper to taste. Let come to a simmer, and remove from heat. (Do not let the chowder come to a full boil). Fish out the thyme and the bay leaf, and discard.

The chowder should be allowed to sit for a while to cure. Reheat it to a bare simmer before serving, then garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with oyster crackers.


bacon recipe source: Sam Sifton, "Founding Fodder," The New York Times Magazine, August 10, 2014

3274. SWEET POTATO CLAM CHOWDER with BACON

2 dozen medium clams (such as Manila) or 3 dozen small clams (such as Littlenecks)
1 1/2 cups water
1 12-oz. bottle of clam juice, as needed
1 cup (about 4-5 slices) diced raw applewood smoked bacon
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 bay leaf
3 1/2 cups (about 1/4 lb.) raw sweet potato, peeled and diced into 2-inch chunks
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cups half-and-half

Scrub the clams well. Spread them in an even layer in a large 12-inch frying pan with a lid. Add the water, cover, and bring to the water to a boil. Set a heatproof bowl nearby to hold the cooked clams. Cook the clams until the shells open, about 2 to 5 minutes. As a clam opens, remove it from the pan with tongs and plop it into the waiting bowl. Give the clams 5 minutes more to cook, transferring clams as they open. After 5 minutes, turn off the heat and discard any clams that remain closed. Pour the pan liquid through a fine-meshed sieve or cheesecloth to strain out any grit. You should have about 1 1/2 cups clam cooking liquid. If there is less than that, add enough bottled clam juice to equal this amount. Set the liquid aside. Transfer the clams, still in their shells, back to the pan and cover it with a lid to keep the clams from drying out while you finish the chowder.

Cook the bacon in a 3-quart soup pot until crisp and brown. When the bacon is done transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain, reserving 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat in the pot. Discard the rest of the bacon fat. Using the same soup pot in which you cooked the bacon, pour back in the 1 tablespoon of bacon fat, add the olive oil and heat over a medium flame for a few seconds; add the onion and celery. Cook vegetables until soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes, clam cooking liquid, the bay leaf, salt and pepper. (Save the cooked bacon to sprinkle over the chowder just before serving.) Cover the pan and simmer just until the sweet potatoes are tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

While the chowder simmers, remove the clams from their shell. You can use a paring knife or even a grapefruit spoon to scrape them out of their shells and into a bowl. Discard the shells. When the sweet potatoes are perfectly done, add the clams to the chowder. Pour in the Half and Half, heat gently until the chowder is piping hot, and ladle it into individual serving bowls. Sprinkle bacon around the edge of the chowder and serve.


bacon recipe source: Cat Cora.com

3054. CLAMS with SMOKY BACON and TOMATOES

yields four main-course servings 


6 slices applewood-smoked bacon, cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-wide strips

1 medium onion, chopped  

3 garlic cloves, pressed  

1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice 

1/2 cup chopped drained roasted red bell peppers from jar  

6 pounds littleneck clams, scrubbed  

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley 

 

Heat large pot over medium-high heat. Add bacon and onion; sauté until bacon is crisp around edges and onion starts to brown, stirring, about 8 minutes. Add garlic; stir 1 minute. Add tomatoes with juice and peppers; bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Add clams, cover, and boil until clams open, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes (discard any clams that do not open). Stir in 1/4 cup parsley. Divide among shallow bowls. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons parsley.

 

 

bacon recipe courtesy of: Bon Appétit

3037. CLAM and BACON PIZZA

makes four servings


2 heads of garlic, separated into cloves, peeled
24 littleneck clams, scrubbed
2 tablespoons olive oil plus more
8 ounces thick-cut bacon, sliced crosswise 1/4" thick
1 pound prepared pizza dough, room temperature
1 ounce Pecorino, finely grated (about 1/2 cup)
fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves and crushed red pepper flakes (for serving)

Bring garlic and 4 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Drain. Repeat process twice more. On final turn, do not drain; reduce heat and simmer until garlic is tender, 20-30 minutes. Drain; reserve garlic. Cook clams and 1/4 cup water in a large pot over medium-high heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until clams open, about 5 minutes (discard any clams that do not open); transfer to a large bowl. Strain clam cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl. Remove clams from shells and coarsely chop. Place in a medium bowl, cover, and chill. Purée reserved garlic, 1/2 cup clam cooking liquid, and 2 tablespoons oil in a blender, adding more cooking liquid by the tablespoonful, until smooth and creamy. Preheat oven to 500°F. Cook bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat until fat renders and bacon is slightly crisp, about 5 minutes; transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Cut pizza dough in half. Working with 1 piece at a time and keeping other piece covered with a damp towel or plastic wrap, gently stretch dough into 12"-14" rounds and transfer to lightly oiled baking sheets. Spread dough with garlic purée and top with Pecorino, clams, and bacon. Bake pizzas until cheese is melted and crust is brown and crisp, 10-15 minutes. Drizzle with oil and top with parsley and red pepper flakes.

bacon recipe courtesy of: Area Four, Cambridge, Massachusetts; Bon Appétit, September 2013

3025. CLAM and BACON FOCACCIA

serves six


1/2 recipe baked focaccia bread (recipe below)
1/2 cup alfredo sauce

1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves

4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, drained and sliced

1 can (6 1/2 oz.) minced clams, drained

3 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled

Preheat oven to 425F.

Prepare and bake focaccia as directed below. Spoon alfredo sauce over focaccia. Top with basil leaves, mozzarella slices, minced clams and crumbled bacon. Bake 8 to 10 minutes in preheated oven.

Focaccia
5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons salt

2 cup warm water

1 package dry yeast

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for drizzling

In a large bowl, combine flour and salt; set aside. In another bowl, combine warm water with yeast; stir until yeast dissolves. Whisk in olive oil. Add yeast mixture to flour. Mix on low speed using an electric mixer about 2 minutes or until well combined. Remove dough from bowl; knead until a smooth ball of dough forms. Place dough in bowl; cover and let rise 60 to 90 minutes or until doubled.

Generously oil a 17×13 inch baking sheet with additional olive oil. Place dough in pan; press and stretch dough evenly with oiled fingers to fill pan. Pierce the dough with a fork at 1-inch intervals. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Cover the focaccia dough and let rise about 45 minutes or until doubled. Preheat oven to 450F. Bake focaccia about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Place on a rack to cool. 


bacon recipe courtesy of: Deborah Harroun, Taste and Tell, November 16, 2009

3012. GEMELLI with CLAMS, CORN and BACON

makes four servings


2 cans (5 oz. each) whole baby clams
3/4 lb. gemelli
6 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1-cm wide strips
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels (about 1 ear)
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup 35% cream
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
salt and pepper

Drain the clams and reserve the juice.

 

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and coat lightly with olive oil. Set aside.

 

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, fry the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat behind. Set the bacon aside.

 

In the same skillet, soften the shallot and garlic in the bacon fat. Add the tomatoes, corn and clams and cook for about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Deglaze with the wine, raise the heat to medium-high and reduce until nearly all the liquid has evaporated. Add the clam juice and cream and reduce by half. Add the pasta and parsley and heat through. Adjust the seasoning.

 

Scatter the crisp bacon on top and serve.

 

 

bacon recipe courtesy of: Ricardo Cuisine.com

2879. LAGER-STEAMED CLAMS with APPLEWOOD-SMOKED BACON

serves four


3 pounds steamer clams
1 12-ounce can lager
4 strips applewood-smoked bacon, chopped in half-inch chunks
1 medium onion, diced medium
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
sea salt and cornmeal for cleaning

Several hours before cooking, place clams in a large bowl; add cold water to cover, plus a few tablespoons of sea salt and a fistful of cornmeal to dislodge the sand in the clams. Let the steamers soak while refrigerating, changing the water mixture once or twice. Before cooking, rinse steamers under cold water, scrubbing the shells lightly with a stiff brush.

Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat from pot.

Add onion to pot, and sauté until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and thyme, sautéing 1 minute more. Pour in beer, and bring to a boil. Add clams and cover tightly; raise heat to medium-high, and steam 6 to 8 minutes, or until clams just open.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer clams, bacon and onion to individual serving bowls. Discard any unopened clams. Pour broth through a fine sieve into a medium bowl to remove any lingering sand.

Pour broth over clams and serve with crusty bread.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Laraine Perri, DRAFT Magazine

2817. CLAMS, BACON and DASHI

serves four


canola oil for frying

6 rashers smoked streaky bacon, cut into pieces
600ml water
5-cm piece ginger, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
4 spring onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 teaspoon instant dashi
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon mirin
1.5kg clams, cleaned of grit

In a frying pan, heat a little oil, add the bacon and fry until crisp. Drain on paper towels. In a large wide saucepan, heat the water with the ginger and 3 of the spring onions. When it comes to the boil, add the dashi, stir to dissolve then add the soy sauce and mirin. When the mixture comes back to the boil, add the clams, cover with a tight-fitting lid and steam for a few minutes until all have opened (discard any that don’t open). Spoon the clams into warmed bowls, add some broth to each, garnish with the remaining spring onion and sprinkle with the bacon. Serve immediately.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Ginny Grant, Cuisine Magazine,  PO Box 6341, Wellesley St, Auckland 1141, Auckland 1021, New Zealand

2798. STEAMED CORN with CLAMS and BACON

makes four servings


1/2 cup diced slab bacon

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
24 littleneck clams
2 ears corn, shucked and cut into 2-inch lengths
3/4 cup dry white wine
2 teaspoons pimentón
aleppo pepper
handful fresh basil leaves, torn
healthy drizzle of olive oil 

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, sweat the bacon over medium heat. Once it begins to render, about 2 minutes, add the garlic and sweat until translucent. Add the clams, corn and white wine, and stir in the pimentón. Increase the heat to high and cook, uncovered, for about 30 seconds, until the alcohol has evaporated. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover and steam until all the clams have opened and the corn is tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Discard any clams that don't open. Serve in a large bowl with a sprinkle of Aleppo pepper, torn basil and a generous drizzle of fruity olive oil.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Los Angeles Times, September 22, 2012 | adapted from Seamus Mullen's Hero Food: How Cooking with Delicious Things Can Make Us Feel Better, by Seamus Mullen. Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2012

2713. BACON-WRAPPED COD with LITTLENECK CLAMS

serves two


4 small fillets blue cod, skin and bones removed
4 rashers streaked bacon or smoked pork belly
25 ml olive oil
100 ml white wine
150 ml cream
10 littleneck clams, washed
chopped garden herbs, including parsley, chives

Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Lay two cod fillets together for each portion and wrap two slices of streaky bacon around the centres. Place the two portions of bacon-wrapped cod fillets in an ovenproof frying-pan and drizzle with olive oil. Select a pan that first the portions snuggly. Roast in the hot oven until the bacon begins to crisp and the cod is almost cooked. Remove from the oven to the stove-top and, on a moderate heat, deglaze (lift the flavours from the bottom of the pan) with the white wine while the cod is still in the pan. Allow to boil then add the cream. (This should come halfway up the cod fillets). Add the clams. Boil gently until the sauce begins to thicken slightly and the clams open, then add chopped herbs, ground black pepper and salt (but only if needed on tasting).  Serve with steamed seasonal vegetables and freshly dug new-season potatoes.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Fleur Sullivan, The Sydney Morning Herald, Sydney, Australia, October 19, 2011

2468. CLAM, CHARD and BACON PIZZA

makes 4 to 6 servings


All-purpose flour (for dusting)
1 1-pound store-bought pizza dough
1 10-ounce can whole baby clams
2 slices thick-cut bacon (2 ounces), cut into 1"-wide pieces
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons minced shallot
1 1-pound bunch Swiss chard, center stalks removed, leaves torn
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" cubes
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon good-quality extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 500°F. Fill a large bowl with boiling water. Place a baking sheet over; dust with flour. Place dough on baking sheet; cover loosely with plastic wrap and let sit for 10 minutes to soften. Flip dough; cover and let sit 10 minutes longer.

Meanwhile, drain clams, reserving liquid. Cook bacon in a 12" cast-iron skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 4–5 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper towel–lined plate. Add garlic and shallot to drippings in skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in chard and 1/2 cup reserved clam liquid and cook, stirring, until chard is just wilted, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in butter, vinegar, and as many clams as you'd like. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl.

Wipe out skillet and heat over medium-high heat until very hot. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to a 12" round. Sprinkle skillet with cornmeal and transfer dough to skillet. Brush top of dough with oil. Cook, shaking pan occasionally and turning pan to avoid hot spots, until bottom of dough is golden and crispy, 6–8 minutes.

Spread chard mixture over dough. Bake until crust is golden and cooked through, 6–8 minutes. Scatter bacon and cheese over; cook just until cheese is melted, 2–3 minutes longer.


bacon recipe courtesy of: The Bon Appétit Test Kitchen, Bon Appétit, February 2012

2359. GRILLED CLAMS ON THE HALF SHELL with BACON, GARLIC and HOT PEPPER

yields four servings


32 littleneck clams on the half shell
1/4-pound bacon, finely diced
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
freshly ground black pepper

Preheat grill to high.

Place a medium saute pan over medium-high heat, add the bacon and cook until lightly golden brown. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and continue cooking until the bacon is crisp. Remove from the heat, stir in the olive oil, parsley, and bread crumbs and season with black pepper, to taste.

Top clams with bacon mixture and place on the grill. Grill for about 1 minute or until just cooked through. Serve immediately.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Bobby Flay, "Seafood Feast," Boy Meets Grill, Food Network

2137. SPAGHETTI with CLAMS, TUNA and BACON

makes four servings


1/3 pound bacon, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound dried spaghetti
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 can (6 1/2 oz.) chopped clams
1 can (2 1/4 oz.) sliced black olives, drained
1 can (6 oz.) water-packed albacore tuna, drained and flaked
Lemon wedges
Minced parsley

In a covered pan over high heat, begin heating enough water to cook spaghetti. Meanwhile, cook bacon in a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over medium-high heat, stirring often. Add garlic after 5 minutes; cook until bacon has browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pan.

When water is boiling, add spaghetti; cook, uncovered, until tender to bite, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, to pan with bacon, add broth, clams with their juice, and olives. Bring bacon mixture to a boil over high heat; cover and keep warm.

Drain pasta well; toss with bacon mixture and tuna. Arrange on a serving platter or individual plates. Garnish with lemon and parsley.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Sunset, March 1997

2106. TOMATO, BASIL and BACON CLAM CHOWDER

makes 4 servings


4 thick slices streaky bacon, cut into pieces
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
3 dozen littleneck clams, shucked and chopped, with liquor reserved
2 cups water
½ cup dry vermouth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 medium red potato, peeled and diced
4 medium ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil leaves
salt

In a 4- to 5-quart pot, fry the bacon over moderate heat till crisp, drain on paper towels, and crumble. Pour all but about 2 tablespoons of fat from the pot, add the onion and celery, and stir till softened, about 5 minutes.

In a bowl, whisk together 1 cup of the reserved clam liquor, the water, vermouth, and tomato paste and add to the onion mixture. Add the potato, tomatoes, basil, and salt and pepper, stir well, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer till the potato is tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the clams, stir well, cover, and continue to simmer 2 to 3 minutes. (Do not overcook the clams.)

To serve, ladle the hot chowder into heavy soup plates or bowls and sprinkle crumbled bacon over the tops.


bacon recipe courtesy of: The Bacon Cookbook: More than 150 Recipes from Around the World for Everyone's Favorite Food by James Villas. Wiley, 2007

2054. CLAM, POTATO and BACON POTPIE

serves 6 to 8


6 slices of lean bacon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion, chopped fine
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
1 pint shucked hard-shell clams, chopped coarse, reserving 1/4 cup of the liquor
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 boiling potatoes, cooked, peeled, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 recipes pâte brisée (recipe below)
an egg wash made by beating 1 large egg with 2 teaspoons water

Pâte Brisée:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl blend the flour, the butter, the vegetable shortening, and the salt until the mixture resembles meal. Add 3 tablespoons ice water, toss the mixture until the water is incorporated, and form the dough into a ball. Knead the dough lightly with the heel of the hand against a smooth surface for a few seconds to distribute the fat evenly and re-form it into a ball. Dust the dough with flour and chill it, wrapped in wax paper, for 1 hour.

Potpie: In a kettle cook the bacon over moderately low heat until it is crisp and transfer it with tongs to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat, add the butter, and in the fat cook the onion, stirring occasionally, until it is softened and lightly golden. Add the flour and cook the roux, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the cream, the milk, the reserved clam liquor, and the Worcestershire sauce and cook the mixture, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until it is thickened. Add the potatoes, the clams, the thyme, the parsley, the lemon juice, the bacon, crumbled, and salt and pepper to taste and combine the mixture well.

Divide the dough in half. Roll out one piece of the dough 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured surface, fit it into a 10-inch (1 1/2 quart capacity) pie plate, and trim the dough, leaving a 1-inch overhang. Pour the filling into the shell. Roll out the remaining dough 1/8 inch thick, arrange it over the filling, and crimp the edge decoratively. Brush the top crust with the egg wash and bake the potpie in the lower third of a preheated 400°F. oven for 35 minutes, or until the crust is golden.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Gourmet, February 1990

1733. VIOGNIER-STEAMED CLAMS with BACON and PARSNIPS

makes six servings


1 pound small parsnips, peeled
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
salt and freshly ground pepper
6 ounces thickly sliced bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips
1 1/2 cups Viognier (white wine)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 shallot, minced
4 dozen littleneck clams, scrubbed and rinsed
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons snipped chives
oyster crackers, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350°. On a baking sheet, brush the parsnips with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast the parsnips, turning once or twice, until tender, about 40 minutes. Let cool slightly, then quarter the parsnips lengthwise and slice them 1/4 inch thick.

Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, cook the bacon over moderately high heat until well browned and crisp, about 6 minutes. Drain the bacon strips on paper towels; wipe out the skillet.

In the skillet, bring the Viognier to a boil with the butter and shallot. Add the clams, cover and cook over high heat until they open, 6 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the clams to a large bowl.

Pour the clam broth into a glass measuring cup. Rinse out the skillet. Slowly pour the clam broth back into the skillet, stopping before you reach the grit at the bottom. Add the cream and boil until the liquid has reduced by half, about 8 minutes. If the cream sauce separates, transfer to a blender and puree until smooth, then return it to the skillet.

Add the roasted parsnips, bacon, chives and the cooked clams in their shells to the skillet. Season generously with pepper, cover and bring to a boil. Spoon into shallow bowls, sprinkle with oyster crackers and serve immediately.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Dean Maupin, "Great American Wine & Food Matches, Editor’s Picks: Kristin Donnelly’s Favorite F&W Recipes," Food & Wine, October 2006