IRON CHEF -- BATTLE CLAM: Jen, Lucy and a family crew dug out and delivered to me cooler's worth of Eastham steamers and quahogs on Saturday afternoon, finally giving me the opportunity I've sought since January to prepare Ilan's Fideos with Clams and Saffron from season two, which I prepared along with a forgettable chowder (used too much clam broth, so it remained watery) and an admittedly kickass Potato, Bacon and Clam Flatbread (with Boboli as the shortcut crust.)
But those Fideos. It eventually came out really well, but do not follow that recipe. The problem is step five -- it's impossible to fit a pound of dry (and toasted) pasta in a medium skillet along with a pound of clams and have both the pasta cook and the clams steam and open -- littlenecks maybe, but not these larger clams. It's a mess, and it really impaired my ability to get those clams steamed sufficiently. Next time, I'll just (par?)boil the capellini separately while preparing the clams, then combine them with the saffron-cream sauce in a casserole dish and complete it in the oven. Let me know if you try it.
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