Recipe created & provided by Chef Crusco Catering in Austin, Texas
Ingredients
- 3 tbsps. EVOO
- 4 oz. Chorizo Embutido – Spanish cured ham – cut into 1/4 inch cubes
- 2 tbsps. Unsalted Butter
- 2 Shallots – finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves – thinly sliced
- 1 tsp. Spanish Pimenton (smoked Paprika)
- 24 Littleneck Clams – scrubbed and cleaned
- 1/2 cup Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay
- 4 ears of corn – blanched with kernels removed
- 2-3 tbsps. Lime juice
- Sea Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper
- 1 tsp. Turmeric (mainly for color)
- 1/2-1 Cup Stock or Water
- 3-4 tbsps. Cream
- Cilantro leaves – garnish
- 12 Peruvian Biquinho Peppers – for garnish
Directions
- Heat EVOO in a small saute pan over medium-high heat. Add chorizo and cook until browned and crispy (roughly 4-5 minutes). Once cooked, scrape chorizo and oil into a small bowl and set aside.
- Place 1 tbsp. Chorizo oil & 2 tbsps. butter into a large pot on med-high heat. Add shallots, garlic and season w/ salt, pepper & pimenton. Cook until sweating & taking some color (6-8 minutes).
- Add Clams and toss to combine. Turn the heat to high and immediately add the wine. Cover pot and cook until the clams open (about 5-6 minutes).
- Remove the lid and transfer opened clams to a bowl, leaving liquid behind. If some clams are still closed, cover the pot again and cook another few minutes until opened. Remember to simply discard any that have not opened and keep the liquid that is left in the pot.
- In a separate pot, bring 3 cups salted water to a boil. Add corn and cook until tender (about 2-3 minutes). Remove corn immediately and place into an ice water bowl to shock. Once cool, remove kernels from the cob and set aside half to puree and half for garnish.
- Place half the kernels into the pot the clam juice and vegetables are in and simmer on med heat. Add lime juice and turmeric. Cook 3-4 minutes until warmed through.
- Using a blender, purée the mixture until smooth. Add enough stock to thin it out into a soup like consistency. Return purée to the pot, add cream and mix well.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper & lime juice.
- To serve, divide creamy corn mixture among 4 bowls and add 5-6 clams per bowl.
- Place a few larger corn kernel segments into the bowl. Spoon the crispy chorizo and oil drops all over. Garnish with biquinho peppers and cilantro leaves. Enjoy!
