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Foie Gras-Steamed Clams
© Anna Williams

Foie Gras-Steamed Clams

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  • ACTIVE: 15 MIN
  • TOTAL TIME: 1 HR
  • SERVINGS: 4
  • STAFF-FAVORITE

At the Greenhouse Tavern in Cleveland, Jonathon Sawyer uses a little bit of foie gras to create a luscious sauce for clams. "It's such a simple recipe,"...

  1. 1 cup pure olive oil
  2. 1 red onion, cut into wedges
  3. 24 littleneck or Mahogany clams, scrubbed
  4. 2 tablespoons late-harvest white wine vinegar, such as Katz's Late-Harvest Sauvignon Blanc Agrodolce
  5. 4 tablespoons foie gras mousse, such as D'Artagnan's
  6. 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  7. Grilled bread, for serving
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a small baking dish, pour the olive oil over the onion wedges, cover with foil and roast for about 40 minutes, until the onion is tender. Drain, reserving the oil for another use. Coarsely chop the onion.
  2. In a large, deep pot, combine 1 cup of water with the clams, white wine vinegar and foie gras mousse. Cover and steam over moderately high heat until the clams open, about 10 minutes. Transfer the clams to bowls, discarding any that do not open. Strain the broth into a medium bowl and rinse out the pot.
  3. Return the sauce to the pot, stopping when you reach the grit at the bottom. Add the butter and whisk over moderate heat until creamy. Add the roasted onion and cook just until heated through. Pour the sauce over the clams and serve right away with crusty grilled bread.

Suggested Pairing

One reason why sparkling wine goes so well with superrich ingredients like foie gras is that the brisk bubbles essentially refresh the palate between bites. For this lush soup, try pouring the toasty NV Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut;.