- 4
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 shallots, peeled and sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 5 sprigs Italian parsley
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 1/2 pounds Maine butter clams (or littlenecks or mussels)
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 4 cups bottled clam juice or chicken broth, or more if desired
- 1 cup drained garlic confit (recipe follows)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Oil from garlic confit, optional
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound linguine, cooked al dente
Preparation
Step 1
In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add shallots, garlic, thyme, parsley and bay leaf. Saute until shallots are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add clams and wine, raise heat to high, and cover. Boil until all of the clams have opened, about 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer clams to a bowl, then cover.
Add clam juice to the saucepan, and boil over high heat until liquid is reduced to about 1 cup. Remove and discard bay leaf, parsley and thyme sprigs. Transfer contents of pan to a blender, and add garlic confit and lemon juice. With blender running, add remaining 1/2 cup olive oil in a slow steady stream until sauce is smooth and emulsified. For extra garlic flavor, add some of the oil from garlic confit if desired.
Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Adjust thickness of sauce with more clam juice, if desired. Toss with linguine, and top with clams. Serve immediately.
Garlic Confit
4 heads garlic, separated into cloves and peeled
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Place garlic cloves in a 1-quart saucepan, and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, and strain off water. Repeat this process two more times.
In saucepan, pour oil over garlic cloves. Place over lowest heat possible, so that the oil is barely at a simmer. Cook for about 1 hour. Allow to cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container. It may be stored, refrigerated, for up to two weeks.
YIELD about 2 1/2 cups, including oil