Great summer recipe from Stone House featured in NJ life Health & Beauty!

From: Jerry Villa, Executive Chef at Stone House Restaurant, Warren, NJ
The Dish: Steamed Baby Clams with Chorizo and Garlic Bread

CIA graduate Jerry Villa has been the force behind many of Stone House owners Frank and Jeanne Cretellas’ restaurants, including Liberty house and the Boathouse in Central Park and Lundy’s in New York City. Now in charge of the kitchens at Stone House, Villa is taking advantage of nearby farms and food purveyors by sourcing many of the restaurant’s ingredients locally.

The restaurant has even gone the extra mile by farming its own vegetables and herbs at Wagner farms, a communal farm nearby, and hopes to expand its garden into a field immediately adjacent to the Stone House to ensure customers eat only the freshest produce available.

Serves 4-6 as an appetizer

2 pounds baby clams [cockles from New Zealand or Manilas from Washington State work well]
4 oz. Chorizo
1 Tablespoon chopped shallots
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 Tablespoon of chopped parsley
¾ cup of white wine
3 oz. plus 2 Tablespoons of butter
Salt and Pepper To Taste
Pinch of red pepper flakes

Place 2 tablespoons of butter into a skillet over medium heat. When butter is slightly melted, add chopped shallots and sliced garlic. Cook until translucent.

Add chorizo and cook for two minutes. Then add baby clams, stir, and cook for 1 minute. Pour white wine over clams, raise the heat and cover skillet. Cook for about 4 minutes. Remove cover and check to see if clams are open. If not, continue cooking at lower heat until open. Add chopped parsley, salt and pepper, and red pepper flakes. Mix well and place in a large bowl to be served family style with garlic bread.

Garlic Bread
Half loaf of crusty Bread [ country,seomilia or any Italian type]
¼ cup olive oil
1 Teaspoon chopped garlic
1 Teaspoon chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch of red pepper flakes

Mix all ingredients and let sit for one hour. Slice bread into half-inch slices. Brush both sides of bread with olive oil mixture. Bake in 350 degree oven for 12 -15 minutes or until desired crispiness,or place onto a pre-heated grill and grill on each side until desired crispiness. Cut and serve with clams.

Source: http://www.njlhealthandbeauty.com/recipes/steamed-baby-clams/

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