Friday, June 06, 2008

Orzo with linguiça and clams

I had some linguiça in the fridge that I bought like a month ago. Check the date: Sell By June 08. Perfect. Linguiça (lin-gwee-suh) is a Portuguese cured sausage that resembles chorizo. I don't think it has tongue in it, but the name suggests it. Peter G. from Oz knows what I'm talking about. He's a cunning linguist.

I was thinking of making something rich like feijoada, a rich Portuguesi stew of beans and pork products (also the National Dish of Brazil), but even though the weather is meh, I want to eat vegetables and herbs and brightness. And although my garden isn't quite there yet, the heirloom tomatoes at New Seasons are fucking pulchritudinous. Yes, that's right. Pulchritudinous. Yeah, I have a thesaurus. What's it to ya?

I got so excited about eating linguiça for dinner that IMed the Hubz at work:

Hethz: Linguica - as sammich, with beans, or with fideos and clams
Hubz: Clams?
Hethz: Yay and crsty bread for soppage
Hubz: Sounds perfect.
Hethz: Except wtih orzo we dont hvae fideos and i dont wanna break spaghteti (I'm a terrible typist and IMing reflects this painfully clearly)
Hubz: Of course.
Hethz: Yay (then a bunch of extra-happy smilies cascade down the screen)

A nice trait of the Hubz' is that he knows better than interject when I IM him in the middle of the afternoon with meal ideas. He just smiles and nods while secretly continuing to do his work.

Orzo with linguiça and clams
Avoid my n00b mistake and actually check your clams when the seafood guy hands them to you. If there any broken ones (or worse, empty ones), give him a dirty up-and-down look and ask him is he fucking kidding you with this shit. Anyways, that's what I would've done if I'd thought to actually check my clams before gleefully trotting off swinging my basket and humming a tralala. Makes enough for two gluttons plus leftovers.

1/2 medium onion chopped
1 anaheim chili or 1/4 yellow bell pepper, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 very small fennel bulb, sliced (probably 1 cup?)
2 linguiça sausages, sliced
1 c white wine
1 c canned stewed tomatoes and their juice (diced or chop up three whole stewed toms)
~ 2 or 3 handfuls orzo pasta
a small handful of good olives (I had dry-cured Greek ones, but Kalamata would also be great)
2 or 3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tsp chopped fresh oregano
1/4 tsp pimentón (smoked paprika)
a few pinches of chili flake
some cracks of pepper
1 lb. clams (we have Manila clams from Washington that are great), rinsed
1 small-ish fresh tomato, chopped
a squonch* of flatleaf parsley, chopped
S&P

*This is the amount I always tell the Hubz to pick from the garden when he asks "how much?", and it's always just the right amount.

In a wide frying pan, saute the onion, peppers, garlic, fennel and linguiça in a little olive oil. When the sausage starts to brown and the veg start to go a bit sticky and glossy, toss in the wine and stir. Add everything else except the clams, fresh tomato and parsley. After about ten minutes of cooking over medium-low with a lid and stirring once in awhile, add the clams and fresh tomato. Cook for 5-8 more minutes, or until the clams are open, Discard any that don't open, because that means they were dead before you cooked them and this is how people get food poisoning.

Sprinkle with parsley and serve with crusty bread and a budget Spanish white such as Marqués de Alella 2006 Pansa Blanca.

Oh, I almost forgot! I'm sharing this dish with Kevin of Closet Cooking for the food blogging event he's hosting, Presto Pasta Nights. I hope he likes it! Go check him out say hi! He is totally the Napoleon Dynamite of food blogging (I mean that very affectionately). This is normally an event by Ruth over at Once Upon a Feast (omg, hi Ruth!), but Kevs is hosting this time around. I'm sure he doesn't mind if I call him Kevs.

30 comments:

Susan @ SGCC said...

This is a great dish! I just love the combo of sausage and clams. I made a fideos and clams recipe a while back, but it was very different.

BTW, you won my Top Chef Giveaway this week. Congrats! When you get a minute, email me your snail mail address ao that I can send you your cookbook. :)

Peter G | Souvlaki For The Soul said...

LOVE THIS! Mmmm..smoky sausage and clams with orzo...bet it was delicious. As for being a cunning linguist, I'm not even going to touch that one! But languages and words are an obsession yes! How's this? (I'm sure you know it)...I've been cooing with cruciferous vegetables in the last few days.

Ruth Daniels said...

Heather, glorious dish and I'm so glad to meet you. Thanks for sharing.

LIving in Halifax Nova Scotia means being challenged to find interesting ethnic sausages...but I'm on the linguica hunt.

Terrific blog btw!

Peter M said...

I'm speechless, from discussing Pete's "oral skills" to introducing linguica to showcasing a kick-ass dish to Napolean Dynamite? Only at the Gild Inn!

Alicia Foodycat said...

Sausage and clams is brilliant. And whaddaya know, I have orzo in the cupboard. Hmmm - will I be able to slide this past my husband while the weather is good enough to BBQ?

Jen said...

I love sausage and any seafood - especially chorizo or linguica. I can't find linguica here, though.

glamah16 said...

Did you just say cunning linguist! HAHAHAHA.Serioulsy amazing dish and I cant type either.But you know that.

test it comm said...

I still have not tried clams... Seeing dishes like this makes me want to run out and get some! It looks and sounds really tasty! Thanks for sharing with Presto Pasta Nights.

Heather said...

Susan - Sausage and clams is such a no-brainer. Pork and shellfish? Yes please.

Petah - Haha! I love crucifers. :)

Ruth - At least you get good salmon, eh? I bet since it's cured you can find some mail order sausages.

Peter the Greek - I don't think Kevs even noticed the Napoleon Dynamite reference. :D

Foodycat - Why don't you cook the sausages, peppers and onions on the grill and then chop them and toss them in with everything? How could your husband argue with that? :)

Jen - You could totally use chorizo with the same effect. It's probably what I'll use next time, since i have so much in the freezer!

Coco - I bet you could type just fine if you blogged from a keyboard instead of your tiny Blackberry! :D I don't have any excuses.

Kevs - DO EET! Run out and get some clams. Or mussels. The local-er the better. They make their own sauce!

Judy@nofearentertaining said...

That looks incredible Heather. I love the freshness of it all!

*I keep posting comments and they disappear??? Anyone else?

Janet said...

Wow! That looks amazing, as always, Heather.

Syd said...

linguiçal clams? Exxxcellent.

peter said...

I could eat a pulchritudinous squonch of that right now.

giz said...

Yikes Heather - that's gorgeous - it has that rich seafoody, saucy goodness to it. Great entry for PPN

Emily said...

I saw that "Kevs" was hosting this. I think we should all call him Kevs. Or Napoleon Dynamite. You're right - he didn't notice! I guess he's just a busy guy.

So yes, I would eat this. It looks very good. Definitely worth IMing for.

Alicia Foodycat said...

Doing it all on the grill? Genius! Might just have to happen.

I was doing something with lup cheong yesterday and I saw a reference to "if you can't get lup cheong use Portuguese sausage" - surely the flavours are nothing like?

Anonymous said...

Okay I was about to head out to pick up a pork butt to slow roast, but it looks like I'll be going to the seafood market instead.

Heather said...

Judy - Thanks! Blogger can be a bit wonky sometimes, I think. :\

Janet - Aww, shucks. :)

Syd - I know you haven't had a LLP post in awhile, but these clams ain't bearded, my friend. :D

Jube - I bet you could. I have leftovers for lunch. Yay!

Giz - I tend to forget that orzo is even pasta, it's so tiny. So is couscous, though, technically.

Em - Haha yeah he has a lot of cooking and commenting to do. I've even asked him in a comment on his own blog if I can call him Kevs and he never replied. :D

Foodycat - I think lup cheong has a nice, sweet, fennel-y flavor (the stuff I get does, anyway), so maybe not too far off the mark?

Marc - Heh, I did a pork butt yesterday. I found out that it's really not worth doing if you can't leave that fucker in the oven all bloody day.

Alicia Foodycat said...

Definitely sweet - I can see maybe fennel-y from the star anise - but I thought Portuguese sausage had a bit of a chilli kick as well?

michael, claudia and sierra said...

http://www.cookeatfret.com/bacon/2008/05/01/yellow-eye-beans-with-sweet-potato-and-bentons-bacon/

this is the post where i used both the thesaurus and the p-word too...

figured i'd share...

Heather said...

FC - I get the "hot" lup cheong, so I guess I'm used to a bit of chili.

Claudia - There is something about pork products that brings out the thesaurus in all of us, isn't there?

Anonymous said...

This looks completely awesome!
The big thing I find with clams is how your fishmonger keeps them.. If they are just layed on ice, they are already fucked to be honest.

Mussels are even worse for broken shells.. I normally estimate on a 10% screwed ratio when I buy them.

This looks like a really great dish, and is on my list to make.

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

This dish is perfect..look at that list of ingredients..it really makes a statement:D

Núria said...

Fantástico!!! Please Heather, next time you cook this maravilla could you please call me a couple of days in advance? I'll bring a Rioja bottle... or two :D

Thistlemoon said...

I love the IMs - so funny, I am the WOSRT IM speller ever. Roberto reacts the same way as your hub.

Hunter Angler Gardener Cook said...

Nice dish. Been meaning to do this one, but haven't gotten around to it. Why can't I have a kitchen with a clean-up crew and the ability to eat five meals a day without getting rotund? Sigh.

One question: Orzo is a fine choice, but what's the big deal about breaking spaghetti?

Heather said...

Matt - The clams (and mussels) were still in the mesh bag in which they were sold to the fishmonger, but I've never seen them any other way.

Valli - Thanks! I'm still always trying to do new things.

Núria - Of course! Anything for a good Spanish Rioja! :D

Jenn - I refuse to use typing shortcuts like "ur" instead of "you're", so I mess up a lot. :)

Hank - Re: your question, haha I guess I'm just lazy.

maybelles mom said...

yum. and 13 points for vocab useage.

Anonymous said...

This looks amazing!

Hollow Legs said...

This dish (like many others on your blog) looks fabulous. I wish I could get clams and the sausage easily so that I could attempt to recreate it myself!