Clams with Garlic Sauce

• Recipe by Penelope Casas

Garlic, parsley and chile brighten this dish of tender clams. Soaking the clams in water laced with cornmeal helps remove any sand they might contain.

Ingredients

1. Three dozen littleneck clams, scrubbed
2. 1/2 cup cornmeal
3. 1 tablespoon kosher salt
4. 4 garlic cloves, minced
5. 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
6. A few saffron threads
7. 1/4 cup olive oil
8. 1 small onion, minced
9. 1/2 cup dry white wine
10. 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
11. 1 small dried red chile
12. 2 bay leaves
13. 1/4 teaspoon hot paprika
14. Freshly ground black pepper
15. 1/2 cup fish stock or 1/4 cup bottled clam juice diluted with 1/4 cup of water

Directions

1. In a bowl, cover the clams and cornmeal with water; add the salt. Soak for 45 minutes; drain and rinse.
2. In a blender or mini-processor, puree the garlic with 5 tablespoons of the parsley and the saffron. 
3. Heat the oil in a nonreactive skillet. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat until translucent. Add the clams, wine, lemon juice, chile, bay leaves, paprika and pepper. Cover and cook over high heat, stirring; remove the clams as they open. 
4. Add the fish stock and the garlic mixture to the skillet and cook until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Discard the chile and bay leaves. Divide the clams among 4 soup plates, spoon the garlic sauce on top and garnish with the remaining 1 tablespoon parsley. 
5.