Recipes Sizzled Clams with Udon Noodles and Watercress Be the first to rate & review! Chef Way Pino Maffeo prepares the dish with thick, fresh egg noodles and hot chile oil, which are both house-made. Easy Way Replace the house-made noodles and hot chile oil with supermarket ingredients. By Pino Maffeo Pino Maffeo Why he won Because his fascination with innovative Asian and Mediterranean cooking is balanced by his skill at making food that's absolutely delicious.Born London; 1970.Education Newbury College School of Hotel & Restaurant Management, Brookline, Massachusetts.Experience Marriott Hotel Group; Inn at the Opera in San Francisco; Sage in Boston; AZ and Pazo in New York City.Biggest influence His mother. "She's the best cook in the world. When I used to come home from clubbing at 2 a.m., first she'd yell, then she'd start cooking. I never came home from school when there wasn't something on the stove wrapped in foil—stuffed peppers, polenta pie."Biggest inspiration "I'll go down the street to the Boston Public Library and look at all the cookbooks, including the really old, handwritten ones."Ingredient obsession Wild cherry bark. "I've been adding sachets of powdered bark to soups, stocks and sauces. It's not in-your-face; it's an underlying flavor, a base note."What he'd be if he wasn't a chef A punk rock guitarist. WEB EXCLUSIVE! Read more of our interview with Pino Maffeo Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on May 31, 2017 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: © Tina Rupp Total Time: 30 mins Yield: 4 Ingredients 7 ounces dried udon noodles 1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon canola oil 2 dozen littleneck clams, scrubbed and rinsed 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced 1 tablespoon minced flat-leaf parsley 1 1/2 teaspoons Chinese black bean sauce 1/4 cup sake 1 bunch watercress (6 ounces), thick stems discarded 1 1/2 tablespoons oyster sauce 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 scallion, thinly sliced Chile oil, for drizzling Directions In a medium saucepan of boiling water, cook the udon until tender, 5 minutes. Drain and toss with 1 teaspoon of the canola oil. Meanwhile, heat a wok until very hot. Add 2 tablespoons of the canola oil and when it starts smoking, add the clams. Cover and cook for 2 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic, parsley and black bean sauce and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the sake, cover and cook until the clams open, about 5 minutes longer. Pour the clams and their juices into a large bowl. Return the wok to high heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of canola oil. Add the watercress and stir-fry until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Add the udon, oyster sauce and butter and stir-fry until the udon are evenly coated. Return the clams and any accumulated juices to the wok and stir-fry just until combined. Transfer to the bowl, garnish with the scallion and drizzle with chile oil. Serve immediately. Suggested Pairing Zesty Sauvignon Gris. Rate it Print