SERVES 2 TO 3 AS A MAIN COURSE, 4 TO 5 AS PART OF A MULTICOURSE MEAL
There is something about a cozy sandpot filled with clams and mussels, each snug in its shell, that I find wonderful. Add the dusky note of Chinese fermented black beans and the green zip of fresh asparagus or peas, and I would order (or cook it) straightaway!
The smoky note of diced bacon adds a marvelous tone of richness in the casserole, but it may be omitted. What is most important is the freshness and size of the shellfish: Look for the smallest and sweetest clams and mussels available. This dish is easy to put together in advance.
Choosing fresh clams and mussels is a cinch. If their shells are tightly closed or clamp shut swiftly when you touch them, then they’re alive enough to eat. If they’re gasping, moribund, or gaping, don’t buy them.
Size and variety is important to flavor and texture. I love best the tiny clams that are harvested on Prince Edward Island and the small variety of mussels called Manila. These are both sweet and silky. Green-lipped mussels are pretty, but I’ve never been thrilled with the taste.
If you are in doubt about the kind of clams and mussels offered in your market, buy a few of whatever kind you’re eyeing and take them home and steam them open in a half inch of boiling water. Taste and judge the meat eaten straight from the shell, without any sauce to mask the flavor. If you’re not very impressed, ask your fish dealer to suggest other types. If they’re willing to order another type for you but only if you’ll take a big sack, don’t worry. There’s hardly a better and cheaper way to feed a gang of friends than with a clam or mussel feast!
1 pound fresh mussels
AROMATICS:
1 tablespoon Chinese black beans, coarsely chopped (do not rinse them)
¼ cup Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1½ tablespoons finely minced fresh ginger
3 tablespoons thinly sliced green and white scallion rings
SAUCE:
1 cup China Moon Double Stock (page 72) or unsalted chicken stock
½ teaspoon Chinese chili sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cups lightly packed spinach leaves
½ cup fresh peas, fresh corn kernels, or fresh asparagus cut into nuggets
½ basket (3 to 4 ounces) red pearl onions, left whole, or 1 small red onion, cut into ½-inch squares
2 tablespoons diced bacon (optional)
1 to 2 tablespoons corn or peanut oil, for stir-frying (optional)
1 red bell pepper, cut into ½-inch squares
2 fat scallions, cut into 1-inch nuggets
3 to 4 cloves garlic, slivered
Green and white scallion, sliced on the diagonal or julienned, for garnish
Yanking beards from mussels and pulling bones from fish can be one of the better or worse jobs in a restaurant kitchen, depending upon your perspective and your tools. If you’re one of our prep cooks and are faced with a giant sink of fresh mussels clinging ferociously to their ropey beards, then it can be a low day. Or, if dinner is due up in an hour and you’re dealing with a king salmon so fresh that the bones are still wedded to the meat and the one needle-nose pliers that typically floats around the kitchen has disappeared, then it will be a difficult hour. Otherwise, it’s fun.
In the privacy and sanity of a home kitchen, a little muscle and a needle-nose pliers are all you need to do either job easily. The pliers will grip and tug well without slipping. Don’t fuss around with strawberry pickers or tweezers; they’re designed for little stuff. Give the hardware store salesclerk a thrill and say you’re buying pliers to yank off a stiff bunch of beards.
1. Scrub the clam shells under cold running water with a stiff brush. Beard the mussels and scrub the shells under cold running water. Discard any shellfish that do not shut quickly when rinsed or any with broken shells. Cover with a wet towel in a shallow pan and refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Combine the chopped black beans with the wine; set aside for 10 minutes to plump the beans.
3. Drain the beans, reserving the wine. In a small dish, combine the beans, ginger, and scallion rings; cover until ready to use.
4. In a small bowl, combine the reserved wine with the sauce ingredients, leaving the spoon in the bowl.
5. Blanch the spinach leaves in a generous amount of boiling water for 10 seconds to wilt. Immerse in ice water to chill. Drain well, pressing down lightly to extract any excess water. Fluff the leaves to loosen, then set aside. In the same pot, blanch the peas until tender-crisp, about 30 seconds; plunge into ice water to chill. (Blanch asparagus nuggets using the same method until tender-crisp, 30 to 60 seconds.) Blanch the pearl onions until the skins loosen, 1½ to 2 minutes. Chill in ice water and drain. Cut off the root ends; peel off the skin. Cut in half if large.
6. Heat a wok or large, heavy skillet over high heat until hot enough to evaporate a bead of water on contact. Add the bacon, if using, and stir briskly until some of the fat is rendered and the cubes are golden, about 1 minute. Reduce the heat to moderate; remove the bacon to a paper towel to drain. Empty the pan of all but 1 tablespoon bacon fat, reserving any extra. If you are not using bacon, glaze the pan with 1 tablespoon corn oil and heat until a pinch of the aromatics foams upon contact.
7. Add the aromatics to the pan and stir gently until fully fragrant, about 1 minute, adjusting the heat so the mixture foams gently without browning. Add the onions and toss until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the bell pepper and toss briskly until slightly soft, about 2 minutes. Add the scallions and garlic, and toss until the garlic is fragrant and very lightly browned, about 2 minutes more. Adjust the heat to maintain a merry sizzle and drizzle a bit more fat or oil down the side of the pan, if needed to prevent sticking. Add the bacon and toss to combine. Spread the vegetables on a large platter to cool. All of the above steps may be done a full day in advance. Seal and refrigerate the ingredients; bring to room temperature before cooking.
8. About 15 minutes before serving, put the clams in a 2-to 3-quart Chinese sandpot or other large heavy casserole. Arrange the cooked vegetables on top. Stir the sauce to recombine and add it to the pot. Add the mussels in an even layer on top. Tightly cover the pot and bring the mixture to a lively simmer over moderate heat. Simmer just until the clams and mussels open, 4 to 5 minutes, shaking the pan several times to hasten them on their way. Turn off the heat, remove the lid, and quickly fold in the spinach and peas, corn, or asparagus. Replace the lid and allow them to heat through for 30 seconds. Discard any shellfish that do not open with a tug.
9. Serve at once in heated bowls of contrasting color, garnished with a sprinkling of scallion. Put an extra bowl on the table for the empty shells.
The very fibers mussels use to attach themselves to piers and pilings (often outlasting the ropes or mortar used to hold the structure together) are what you need to yank out before eating them. A pair of needle-nose pliers does the job perfectly. Mussel connoisseurs insist that the beards be yanked just before cooking, leaving the mussels alive and with all their faculties intact until the last minute. At the restaurant, however, we often beard the mussels and refrigerate them overnight, and we do not detect any difference in taste.
MENU SUGGESTIONS: I like to ladle the shellfish, vegetables, and sauce into a bowl lined with rounds of toasted garlic bread—totally heretical, but totally delicious. Purists might like rice. Iconoclasts might follow with a green salad.