Yum. I figured when I came back to the blogging world, I should do so full force. I also figured while cooking for the parents, I can choose a recipe that will actually feed us all without weird leftovers. I'm all about leftovers, but clams wouldn't be my favorite the next day. My mom and I headed to her favorite store- Wegmans- and got all the goods. They have about every ingredient you could think of there- lemongrass, ham hocks, and truffles- locked up and for a whopping $699 a pound. Crazy.


I was most drawn to this recipe for the chowder sauce. I do love me some corn chowder, but I'm fearful of the one my mom would make growing up- lots of cream of chicken soup I think- not too friendly on the thighs. Well, I still don't skimp and this was real good. We did have some leftover chowder which was gobbled up the next day. This served us really well and I'd say to make it a bit more budget friendly, you don't need to have the fish on top. That said, the marinade for the fish was quite tasty and the fish came out really moist.


This recipe is thanks to Martha's Dinners at Home. I do love this cookbook and find it oh so user friendly. This makes me really enjoy the post-prison Martha. A lot of the ingredients are things you'll actually already have in your pantry.

Directions for the fish:

1. Combine oil, lemon juice, thyme or oregano, garlic, and pepper in a large shallow bowl. Add fish to marinade, and turn to coat; cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator 30 minutes.
2. Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Remove fish from marinade, letting excess drip off. Place on grill, skin side down, and season with salt. Grill until skin is lightly browned and starting to crisp. Carefully turn fillets, and cook until well browned and cooked through (center will be opaque), 5 to 6 minutes. Garnish with chives and lemon wedges, if desired.
   

chowder directions

1. Place clams and wine in a large saucepan. Cover; cook over medium heat until clams open, 6 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer clams to a bowl (discard any that don't open). Strain liquid into a small bowl, leaving grit and sand behind; set aside.
2. Rinse saucepan, and melt butter over medium heat. Add shallots and celery; cook until they begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Cut potatoes into 1/4-inch chunks; add to pan along with corn kernels and scrapings, thyme, and bay leaf. Add reserved cooking liquid and cream, and stir to combine. Cover; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until potatoes are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
3. Arrange clams on top; cover, and continue cooking just until heated through, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; season with pepper. Spoon sauce into four shallow bowls, and serve fish on top. Arrange clams around fish, and serve immediately.