4 clam down Recipes

best olive oil you can afford, leek, cleaned and cut in thin half moons, ribs of celery, finely chopped , including the leaves, fat bulb of fennel , fronds removed and reserved, shave the fennel bulb on a mandoline as fine as you can get it., garlic, minced, hearty red wine , zinfandel is good, fish stock (or 1 cup of clam juice and 1 cup of h20, crushed tomatoes in puree, mild tomatoes and green chiles (or hotter if you want), lemon rind , studded with 1 clove each, orange rind, parsley stems tied together with butcher s twine, bay leaf, salt, crushed red pepper flakes, shrimp, peeled and deveined, crabmeat picked over for cartilage or, substitute florida lobster tails , split down the back 1 for each person, firm white fish fillets, non oily (bass, grouper, snapper, cod) cut in 1 inch thick chunks, fresh basil leaves for garnish, sweet red pepper rouille, fire roasted red peppers, drained (smallest jar possible) and dried off. you want about 2/3 cup of pepper pieces, garlic cloves, (yes, i said five ), saffron threads , soaked in 1/8 cup of dry vermouth, shakes of your favorite hot sauce (louisiana is good, texas pete is just fine), a generous pinch of cayenne, good quality mayonnaise, french baguette or a fine quality cuban bread, cut in 1 inch thick slices and toasted

cream cheese, softened, condensed new england clam chowder, chopped clams, drained , reserving 2 tbsp clam juice, green onions, chopped, garlic cloves, minced, worcestershire sauce, tabasco sauce (about 6 shakes), anchovy paste, salt, pepper

soft lettuce leaves (such as bibb, green leaf or iceberg), halibut fillet (about 3 oz, skin and bones removed, rinsed, drained, and patted dry ), clams , purged and shells scrubbed, mussels , scrubbed and debearded just before cooking, alaskan spot prawns , cut down the back with scissors and vein extracted, new potatoes (about 1 1/2 inches in diameter, cut in half), ear of corn (husk removed and broken or cut into thirds ), snow peas , strings removed, yellow squash or 1 small zucchini, ends removed and cut into 1/2-inch rounds, garlic clove, minced, fresh rosemary sprigs or fresh thyme sprigs or tarragon, sprigs, clam juice , fish stock or 1/4 cup chicken stock