Recipe: Sausage and Clams with Tomatoes

SAUSAGE AND CLAMS WITH TOMATOES

"My grandfather was a fisherman, and one of my earliest food memories is of sitting on his lap when I was a little girl as he fed me clams with lemon juice - much to my Nanna's disapproval. (She didn't think it a good idea for a child my age to eat as many raw clams as I did.) Clams and sausage a real match made in heaven; every time I serve this dish to guests, they tell me it's become their new favorite seafood dish."



4 dozen littleneck clams, scrubbed well
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 ounces spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine, such as pinot grigio
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (14 ounce) can peeled cherry tomatoes*
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley, to garnish

To remove the grit from the clams, put them into a large bowl, cover with water, and let soak for 20 minutes. Drain and repeat.

While the clams soak, put a 6-quart stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, wait a minute, then add the sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until it is fully cooked.

Add the garlic, cook for 30 seconds, then stir in the wine and tomato paste, allowing the liquid to simmer for about 20 seconds. Add the tomatoes, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10 minutes longer.

When the clams are ready, lift them from the water in handfuls, shaking out as much water as you can, and add them to the pan. When they are all in, stir, then cover the pot. Raise the heat to medium and simmer, shaking the pot every few minutes to help the clams open and cook evenly, until all of the clams have opened, 7 to 15 minutes. Discard any that do not open.

Serve the clams and sausage and all their juices family style in a large bowl, or in individual bowls, sprinkling the parsley over the top.

*If you cannot find canned cherry tomatoes, use peeled plum tomatoes, cutting them into 1/2-inch dice. (I find canned diced tomatoes to be too juicy for this recipe.)

Makes 6 servings
Used by permission to Recipelink.com from Clarkson Potter
Adapted from source: Laura in the Kitchen: favorite Italian-American recipes made easy by Laura Vitale