Recipes Ten-Minute Salt Cod with Corn and Littleneck Clams 5.0 (2,319) 1 Review Instead of using salt cod, a classic Portuguese ingredient that takes days to soak, New York City chef George Mendes of Aldea quick-cures fresh cod by standing it in kosher salt for only 10 minutes. He says cod is naturally soft and flaky ("as well as bland," he adds), so salting gives it a firmer texture and a more pronounced flavor. Best New Chef 2011: George Mendes By George Mendes George Mendes Video Best New Chef George Mendes. Video George Mendes describes what it means to be named a Best New Chef. Born 1972; Danbury, CT. Education The Culinary Institute of America; Hyde Park, NY. Experience Stonehenge Inn, Ridgefield, CT; Tropica, Bouley and Le Zoo, New York City; Lespinasse, Washington, DC; Wallse and Toqueville, New York City. Stages: L'Arpège, Paris; Roger Vergé's Moulin de Mougins, Mougins, France; El Bulli, Roses, Spain; Restaurante Martín Berasategui, Lasarte-Oria, Spain. How he got into food "My mom and dad were farmers in Portugal; they immigrated to the US in 1969. I had a childhood full of home-cooked meals: There was always salt cod soaking in the garage; I still remember that smell. On weekdays we'd have rice dishes. On Sundays we'd have more elaborate meals—roast turkey or pork. The holidays were the biggie; they were crazy, off the hook with food." Pet peeve Cooks who work over garbage cans. "It's so sloppy. And people who feel like they are too good to pick up a broom, they're nothing to me. A kitchen is like an operating room, it should be spotless. On top of that, Aldea is an open kitchen." What keeps him going Water and Gatorade. "I drink a lot of water; Gatorade is a big thirst quencher for me." Favorite piece of cooking equipment His Bonnet stove. "I bought it before I opened Aldea; it sat in storage. When I was still looking for restaurant spaces, I'd sit there and look at a picture of that stove." Memorable Meal A tie between a 1998 meal on the terrace at Le Louis XV, Alain Ducasse's restaurant in Monaco, and a 1994 dinner at the original Daniel on 76th Street in New York City. Fantasy splurge "I'd go to Tokyo in 2021. I think it would be impeccable sushi and really cutting-edge Japanese cuisine, taken to a new level." Favorite wine 1986 Louis Jadot Corton-Charlemagne white Burgundy. Dream restaurant "I'd push a sardine-filled wheelbarrow outfitted with a charcoal grill around Union Square. I'd wear an old man's beret. And I'd do it every day, not just when the farmers' market was on." Food trend he dislikes Burgers. "I love them, but enough already." Favorite cookbook La Riviera d'Alain Ducasse. "It sits on my shelf forever, it's the soul of the Mediterranean and it reminds me of my upbringing. Ducasse took the rusticity and authenticity and somehow refined it." Twitter dream "I wish Ferran Adrià were on Twitter." Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on July 14, 2022 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Total Time: 40 mins Yield: 4 Ingredients 4 skinless center-cut cod fillets (about 5 ounces each) ½ cup kosher salt 2 ears of corn (shucked) 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice Freshly ground white pepper ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil Wondra flour (for dusting) 20 littleneck clams (scrubbed) 2 garlic cloves (minced) 2 cilantro sprigs 1 thyme sprig ½ cup dry white wine ½ teaspoon smoked sweet paprika 1 tablespoon chopped parsley Crusty bread (for serving) Directions Set the cod on a plate and cover all over with the salt. Let stand for exactly 10 minutes. Rinse off the salt and pat the cod dry. Meanwhile, bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add the corn and cook for 2 minutes; drain and pat dry. Cut the kernels off the cobs. In a small skillet, toss the corn with the butter and lemon juice and season with white pepper. Cook until heated through, about 1 minute. In a large, deep nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil. Dust the cod with Wondra flour and season with white pepper. Add the fish to the pan, skinned side down and cook over high heat until golden, about 4 minutes. Flip the cod and cook over moderate heat for 1 minute. Add the clams, garlic, cilantro and thyme and season with pepper. Add the wine, cover and cook over moderate heat until the clams open and the fish is cooked through, about 6 minutes. Discard the herb sprigs and any clams that do not open. Rewarm the corn and spoon it into 4 shallow bowls. Top with the cod and sprinkle with the smoked paprika. Spoon the clams and broth all around and garnish with the parsley. Serve with crusty bread. © Anna Williams Suggested Pairing Luis Pato, who works in Portugal's Bairrada region, is slightly controversial because of his modern techniques, but his white wines are unquestionably fantastic with seafood. Look for his juicy Maria Gomes (named for the Maria Gomes grape) or the minerally Vinhas Velhas, a white blend. Rate it Print