Hank Shaw's Blog, page 84

How to Purge Sand from Clams

It's occurred to me that there is a lot of misinformation out there about purging the sand from clams. I've been doing it for many, many years and here is how I do it, and what you need to know to do it yourself at home.

Venison Meatballs, Japanese Style

Pretty much every culture in the world loves meatballs, and Japan is no exception. This is a venison version of the Japanese niku dango meatball, which is normally made with pork. If you like teriyaki, you'll love this.

Fennel Cookies

I don't eat a lot of sweet things, but I do have a soft spot for cookies. These I call "Bacchus Biscuits," and they're my take on a Greek fennel seed cookie. It's like a shortbread cookie, not too sweet, with toasted fennel seeds in it. They last a while and are great as a quick snack.

The Spring Porcini Conundrum

For most of the world, porcini mushrooms are a feature of fall. But here in the West, we also get spring and even summer porcini. In fact, the biggest flush I deal with are right now, as spring fades into summer. To do justice to these mushrooms, we cannot look to Europe. We must develop our own porcini cuisine.

Cajun Boudin Sausage

Boudin, the ultimate Cajun comfort food. Not quite a sausage, boudin is more like jambalaya in a hog casing. You eat it on crackers or just by hand, right out of the casing. I learned how to make it at Legnon's in Lafayette, and here's my version.

Gifts of the Pine

“Ever eat a pine tree? Many parts are edible.”  That may be the most famous quote from the father of modern foraging, the late, great Euell Gibbons, who spoke those words in a Grape Nuts commercial back in the 1970s. He’s right, of course, and I’d like to walk you through just which parts he’s talking […]

Sorrel Sauce

Sorrel sauce. It's so basic, yet so profoundly useful... and awesome. Sorrel tastes like lemonade in a leaf, and both wild and cultivated varieties grow like weeds in any garden. This rich, tart sauce is perfect with pasta, poached fish or poultry, or any other lightly cooked meat.

Smoked Sablefish

It's time to catch black cod, a/k/a sablefish or butterfish out here in the North Pacific. If you've ever eaten this fish, it's like eating silk -- mild, velvety and just a little oily. This means it's perfect for smoking.

New England Style Fried Clams

I love fried clams. A lot. Maybe too much. My sisters will attest to this. Well, this is how they make fried clams in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, where I've been eating giant baskets of them since at least 1974. This recipe is so good you'll want to head out to the clam flats ASAP.

Morel Tortellini

When life gives you mushrooms, make tortellini out of them. OK, maybe tortellini are not everyone's first thought when it comes to cooking fresh mushrooms. But I love these little packets of love, and making them with morels is especially lovely.