I really wanted to make this meal because it reminded me of home (Martina speaking) my mum and dad would make this often and I remember how much fun I had picking the pasta up with clam shells and dropping it into my mouth (not recently). My brother was visiting here in Amsterdam and Andreas and I decided it would be fun to cook up some fresh fish and stir up some memories. And really, fish is way easier to cook than most people think! :)
4 people
1 bunch parsley
2 large garlic cloves crushed with a knife
1/4 — 1/2 tsp red chilli flakes
1/4 cup olive oil
600 grams clams
splash of white wine
400 grams spaghetti or spaghettini
Wash the clams thoroughly to get rid of sand on the shell
If you have a pot with a fairly large flat bottom I would suggest using it for this recipe so the clams all steam at the same time.
Heat up olive oil on low heat, put in garlic and red chilli flakes sautee for 1-2 minutes not letting the garlic burn. Just swish it around until it's fragrant. When the garlic becomes a little transluscent gently drop clams into the pot and put 3 sprigs of parsley on top splash some wine around I would say about just under a half of a wine glass. Turn heat to med/low and cover. The clams will steam open in about 5 - 10 minutes and release all of their juices. Check every once in a while if they are open and when they are all open turn the heat off and your sauce is done.
The sauce needs no salt as the clams juices are salty enough for a good flavour.
Boil water and salt it, always over salt pasta water, it should be as salty as ocean water. Throw in your spaghetti and stir them. Cook pasta according to the directions on the pack, I suppose about 7 minutes, stirring every minute or so to make sure they don't stick.
Drain your pasta once cooked and mix it with the sauce.
I never de-shell the clams cause i think it looks pretty on the pasta and it's also fun to pick them out at the table.
Cut up some parsley and sprinkle it fresh on the pasta and also drizzle some olive oil on top, mix it all in and serve.
Fish alle Oven
4 people
1 Red Snapper - 800 g
Salt & Pepper
1 Lemon
Parsley leftovers
Olive Oil
1 Oven - 180 Degrees Celcius
First of all you need to purchase the fish. The best way to do this is with money, unless you know a fisherman who gives them away for free. When buying fish you just have to have one guide line in mind. Fresh! Fish tastes best when it is fresh and it is highly possible to find fresh fish, it just requires a bit more effort and money than buying it frozen. We bought it at the fish market and payed about 7 euros for it. Please ask the fish monger to take out the intestants but leave the head. The head will give the fish a natural look when serving it but it will also keep the juices in the fish better. So let us go home to the kitchen and start to cook the Red snapper.
Put the Oven on 180 degrees Celcius. Make an aluminum foil strip twice the length of the oven pan and put half of it on the oven pan. Now place the fish on the foil and dress it with Olive oil. Do not be sparse but don't over do it. Then sprinkle rock salt on the scales. This will make the fish a bit more crisp. Do the same for the other side of the fish. Now pour some Olive oil inside the fish, you know where the intestants once was. Also put salt and pepper in there. What to think of here is that this will not give the whole fish a lot of flavour so do not be afraid of salting and peppering too much. Put the Parsley left overs like the stalks, into the fish. Cut some half moons of lemon and put as many as you can fit into the fish and put the rest of the half moon lemon slices around and on the fish. The only thing you have to do now is to fold the rest of the aluminum foil over the fish and tighten the edges. You do not want much air to go into the foil house that the fish now should be in, when you bake the fish in the oven. It should take about or maximum 45 minutes for the fish to be ready. A way to check if the fish is ready is to look if the white meat is glossy anywhere. If it is then the fish is not done. Of course you have to open the fish a bit to see this so try to find the correct time for you oven.
When the fish is done, take it out and serve it as it is or cut out the pieces you want to put on the plates.
Enjoy!
Andreas & Martina
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