Red Chile Pesto Clams
Submitted by callum
Red chile pesto clams with ancho and dried red chiles, roasted garlic, pine nuts, and oregano blended into a smoky, spicy pesto spooned over steamed clams. A Mexican-Italian fusion seafood bowl.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
55 minREADY
1 hrsThis is Mexican cooking meeting Italian pesto technique, and the result is a clam dish like no other. Instead of the expected basil-parmesan pesto, this version builds its base from toasted dried ancho chiles and red chile peppers, rehydrated, blended with roasted garlic, pine nuts, and oregano until silky and deeply savory.
Toasting and rehydrating the dried chiles is where all the flavor comes from. Four to five minutes over medium-high heat wakes up the chiles’ aromatic oils (you can smell them change character), and the 40-minute soak in boiling water softens them into the pliable texture needed for blending. Skip either step and the pesto tastes flat.
Ten roasted garlic cloves sound like a lot until you taste the finished sauce. Roasting transforms the garlic from sharp and biting to sweet and nutty, letting it disappear into the pesto as mellow background flavor rather than standing up and waving.
The clams themselves steam in fish stock rather than water, which boosts the final sauce enormously. After the clams open and come out, reducing the liquid by half and whisking in the pesto creates a glossy, emulsified broth that clings to every shell.
Chef Tips
- Scrub the clams hard under cold water and discard any that stay open when tapped; dead clams can ruin the pot
- Toast the dried chiles just until fragrant and pliable, a few seconds too long over medium-high heat and they burn bitter
- Remove stems and seeds before soaking; these add harsh bitterness to the finished pesto
- Reduce the cooking liquid fully before whisking in the pesto; a thinner broth never carries the pesto flavor properly
Variations
- Swap clams for mussels or a mix; adjust cook time as mussels open faster (five to seven minutes)
- Serve over linguine or with grilled bread to soak up the chile-pesto broth
- Add a splash of white wine or mezcal to the steaming liquid for deeper complexity
Ingredients
Directions
Scrub the clams and discard any open ones.
Clams that have a strong odor or are heavy (indicating that they contain sand) are likely to be dead and should also be discarded.
Preheat the oven to 350℉ (180℃).
Roast the dried chiles in a large skillet, over medium-high heat, for 4 to 5 minutes, turning frequently to avoid burning.
Remove the stems and seeds and place the chiles in a large bowl.
Pour boiling water over them, cover, and let sit until they are very soft, about 40 minutes.
Roast the pine nuts in the oven for about 8 minutes or until golden, stirring occasionally.
Place the chiles, roasted garlic, lemon zest, ¼ cup of olive oil, and oregano in a food processor or blender and purée until smooth.
Add the remaining ¼ cup of olive oil and blend thoroughly.
Add the pine nuts and process until coarsely chopped.
Season to taste with lime juice.
Place the clams in a large pan, over medium-high heat, with the fish stock or clam juice.
When the clams open, remove them from the cooking liquid.
Reduce the liquid by half, then whisk in the chile pesto.
To serve, divide clams, evenly between four soup bowls, pour the pesto mixture over them, and garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve immediately.
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