The Great American Slow Cooker Book (91 page)

1
Fry the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until quite crisp, turning occasionally, 4 or 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate, pat dry with paper towels, and crumble into the slow cooker.

2
Stir in the broth, leeks, celery, potatoes, vermouth, and thyme. Cover and cook on high for 2½ hours, or until the sauce is simmering and the potatoes are tender.

3
Pour the cream into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.

4
Pour the cream into the slow cooker and stir in the clams, setting them in the sauce hinge side down as much as possible. Cover and continue cooking on high for 30 to 40 minutes, until the clams open.

TESTERS’ NOTES

•
If the bacon won’t crumble into the slow cooker, you didn’t fry it enough. Put it back in the skillet and cook until it’s dark brown all over, then crumble it in.

•
Boiling the cream before adding it to the cooker will keep it from breaking in the sauce.

•
Substitute cockles for the clams. They’ll need only about 15 minutes to cook on high. (Or you can substitute shell-on, deveined shrimp, and cook for about 20 minutes on high.)

INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED
There are many varieties of edible clams:

• Littlenecks are the most common in North America, native to a long stretch of the Atlantic coast. They have gray shells and a pronounced, meaty flavor.

• Mahogany clams have brown shells and are harvested in the deep, cold waters off of Maine and the Canadian Maritimes. Their flavor is similar to littlenecks (if brinier).

• Manila clams, sometimes called Japanese littlenecks, are much smaller and sweeter than either of the previous clams. They’re a Pacific specialty; they may well cook more quickly than littlenecks because of their size.

ALL-AMERICAN KNOW-HOW
Hard-shelled clams need to be cleaned of surface sand that may adhere to the grooves on the shell and can turn your sauce into a gritty mess. Using a clean, new toothbrush or a soft potato brush, scrub gently but efficiently under running cool water to get the clams clean. Stiff wire brushes can nick the shells, leaving bits of grit in your food.

1
Combine the tomatoes, onion, fennel, tomato paste, garlic, fennel seeds, and red pepper flakes in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours, or until the vegetables have softened and the sauce is bubbling.

2
Add the clams, then stir so they’re coated in the sauce. If possible, arrange most hinge side down. Cover and continue cooking on high for 30 to 40 minutes, until the clams have opened.

TESTERS’ NOTES

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Yes, the sauce is spicy. You can still double the red pepper flakes at will.

•
If desired, add thawed frozen artichoke quarters with the fennel, up to 1 cup of them for the largest slow cooker.

•
For a sweeter sauce, drain the tomatoes, then add ⅓ cup white wine for a small slow cooker, ½ cup for a medium one, and 1 cup for a large slow cooker.

ALL-AMERICAN KNOW-HOW
The timings for the clam recipes are a tad dependent on the size of the clams. Manila clams may open in 20 minutes; littlenecks, about 30 minutes. But in all cases, buy small clams for these recipes. Since they won’t be sitting in a vigorously simmering sauce, they will open more slowly than on the stovetop, and larger clams will already be tough by the time they finally unhinge.

1
Stir the chickpeas, tomatoes, sherry, red pepper, onion, oregano, garlic, and paprika in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours, or until the tomatoes have begun to break down into a bubbling sauce.

2
Stir in the clams, positioning most of them hinge side down in the sauce. Cover and continue cooking for 30 to 40 minutes, until clams have opened.

TESTERS’ NOTES

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We modeled this dish on some pretty fine tapas we once had in New York City. The bar served two clams per plate; we wanted more.

•
Small grape tomatoes will offer a sweeter, less acidic bite than more standard cherry tomatoes.

1
Stir the tomatoes, butter, lemon juice, garlic, lemon zest, and pepper in a small cooker. Cover and cook on high for 2½ hours, or until the tomatoes have begun to break down into a bubbling sauce.

2
Stir in the clams and basil, arranging as many of the clams hinge side down in the sauce as possible. Cover and continue cooking on high for 30 to 40 minutes, until all the clams open.

TESTERS’ NOTES

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There’s no point in going halfway with a butter sauce! Just make sure you have plenty of crunchy bread to sop up every drop.

•
Clams open and release lots of brine into the sauce, making it quite salty.

•
Substitute cleaned cockles for the clams; cook them until opened, only about 20 minutes.

•
Substitute half as much stemmed thyme or minced oregano leaves for the basil.

•
For heat, add up to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes with the tomatoes.

INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED
Clams are simple but hardy animals. Wild littlenecks can average about 400 years in the ocean; mahogany clams, up to 500 years. Although they don’t last as long in the kitchen, they’re one of the few live-food items you’ll prepare and they need special attention. Buy clams only from a reputable market with a knowledgeable fishmonger. If they come sewn into a bag, ask that it be undone. Don’t pay for any that are open and won’t close when tapped. Also, don’t pay for any with broken shells. Once cooked, toss out any that don’t open. They are probably glued shut with muddy slime, something that you wouldn’t want in your sauce anyway.

ALL-AMERICAN KNOW-HOW
Since clams have to be alive when they’re cooked, plan on eating them the same
day you buy them. Get a bag of chipped ice from the supermarket for the ride home, then store them in a bowl in the refrigerator for no more than 6 hours. Some advocate immersing clams in cold water with a bit of cornmeal to help them open up and release any grit. Although you can do that, most clams sold today are farmed and don’t have gunky bits inside the shell. However, no clam should be immersed in fresh water in the fridge for more than an hour or so because, as saltwater creatures, they will die.

1
Fry the bacon in a large skillet set over medium heat, turning occasionally, until quite brown and crunchy, between 4 and 7 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a plate and blot dry with paper towels. Set the skillet aside to cool for 10 minutes.

2
Wipe up the warm grease in the skillet with a paper towel, then (huzzah!) use that paper towel to grease the inside of the slow cooker canister.

3
Crumble the bacon into a large bowl; stir in the clams, breadcrumbs, onion, cheese, butter, parsley, oregano, garlic powder, and hot sauce. Use just enough of the reserved clam juice to moisten the mixture without soaking it.

4
Spoon and layer the mixture into the slow cooker, gently smoothing it down without compacting it. Sprinkle the top with the lemon juice, pepper, and paprika.

5
Cover and cook on high for 2 hours, until hot at the center and bubbling at the edges. Serve by scooping up spoonfuls onto plates.

TESTERS’ NOTES