Fregola con arselle (Sardinian Couscous with Baby Clams)
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September 26, 2011
Frank, long time no write! So sorry about that.... I had to comment on this latest dish of yours, however. It looks spectacular! I am definately going to make this. I love all the ingredients. As far as I'm concerned, you've got another winner here for sure! Congrats! 5 hearts.1 reply
%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EFregola%20(also%20called%20fregula)%20is%20a%20kind%20of%20pasta,%20typical%20of%20Sardinia,%20that%20looks%20and%20tastes%20much%20like%20Israeli%20couscous.%20Arselle%20are%20tiny%20clams%20that%20live%20under%20the%20sand%20right%20on%20the%20shore%20line.%20Although%20you%20might%20be%20surprised%20by%20the%20pairing,%20this%20odd%20couple%20makes%20for%20some%20delicious%20eating.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EIngredients%20(to%20serve%204-6%20people)%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EDirections%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EIf%20you%20have%20any%20suspicions%20that%20your%20clams%20will%20have%20some%20sand%20in%20them,%20soak%20them%20in%20water%20for%20at%20least%20an%20hour%20before%20cooking.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EIn%20a%20large%20pot,%20lightly%20brown%20a%20clove%20of%20garlic%20or%20two%20in%20some%20olive%20oil.%20Remove%20the%20garlic%20clove%20and%20add%20the%20clams,%20along%20with%20a%20splash%20of%20white%20wine.%20Cover%20immediately%20(depending%20on%20the%20heat,%20the%20wine%20may%20cause%20the%20oil%20to%20spatter)%20and%20cook%20over%20a%20lively%20flame%20until%20all%20of%20the%20clams%20have%20opened.%20Remove%20the%20clams%20and%20remove%20the%20meat%20from%20their%20shells.%20(If%20you%20like,%20you%20can%20leave%20a%20few%20clams%20in%20their%20shells%20for%20decorating%20your%20final%20dish.)%20If%20your%20clams%20are%20large,%20cut%20them%20up%20roughly.%20Keep%20the%20juices%20in%20the%20pot%20for%20later.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EMeanwhile,%20make%20a%20soffritto%20of%20finely%20chopped%20parsley%20and%20another%20clove%20or%20two%20of%20garlic%20gently%20saut%C3%A9ed%20in%20a%20generous%20amount%20of%20olive%20oil.%20Add%20the%20canned%20tomatoes%20and%20simmer%20for%20a%20few%20minutes%20to%20let%20the%20flavors%20meld.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EAdd%20the%20fish%20stock%20or%20water%20to%20the%20tomato%20sauce,%20along%20with%20your%20fregola%20and%20the%20juices%20from%20the%20clams.%20Raise%20the%20heat%20until%20you%20have%20reached%20a%20low%20boil.%20It%20will%20seem%20as%20first%20as%20if%20you%20have%20way%20too%20much%20liquid,%20but%20not%20to%20worry:%20fregola%20absorbs%20a%20lot%20of%20liquid.%20You%20will%20soon%20see%20that%20the%20fregola%20will%20have%20absorbed%20most,%20if%20not%20all,%20of%20the%20liquid.%20In%20fact,%20you%20will%20probably%20need%20to%20add%20water%20from%20time%20to%20time;%20the%20fregola%20should%20be%20covered%20with%20liquid%20until%20it%20is%20almost%20done;%20then%20let%20it%20cook%20down%20to%20your%20taste%20(see%20Notes).%20Cooking%20time%20will%20vary,%20but%20count%20on%2020%20minutes%20or%20more.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWhen%20the%20fregola%20are%20al%20dente,%20add%20the%20shelled%20clams%20to%20the%20pot,%20just%20long%20enough%20to%20heat%20them%20through.%20Ladle%20the%20fregola%20and%20accompanying%20sauce%20into%20deep%20pasta%20plates,%20top%20with%20reserved%20clams%20in%20their%20shells,%20a%20bit%20of%20finely%20chopped%20parsley%20and%20un%20filo%20d'olio%20(a%20drizzle%20of%20olive%20oil).%20Some%20freshly%20ground%20pepper%20would%20not%20be%20amiss,%20either.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ENOTES:%20Fregola%20can%20be%20found%20in%20Italian%20specialty%20shops%20or%20online.%20And,%20if%20you're%20feeling%20ambitious,%20you%20can%20even%20make%20it%20yourself.%20If%20you%20can't%20find%20any,%20Israeli%20couscous%20is%20a%20good%20substitute,%20although%20fregola%20is%20toasted,%20so%20the%20flavor%20will%20not%20be%20quite%20as%20rich.%20In%20a%20pinch,%20I%20imagine%20you%20could%20even%20use%20risoni%20(orzo%20pasta)%20but,%20of%20course,%20the%20result%20will%20be%20quite%20different%20%20(reduce%20the%20amount%20of%20liquid%20as%20well,%20perhaps%20by%20half).%20Although%20this%20might%20well%20be%20the%20best%20known%20dish%20made%20from%20it,%20fregola%20is%20an%20extremely%20versatile%20pasta%20that%20can%20be%20dressed%20not%20just%20with%20seafood,%20but%20with%20vegetables%20or%20meats%20as%20well.%20As%20some%20readers%20may%20remember,%20fregola%20made%20its%20first%20appearance%20on%20this%20blog%20in%20late%202009,%20when%20we%20featured%20fregula%20e%20salsiccia.%20I%20have%20not%20been%20able%20to%20find%20any%20information%20on%20the%20origins%20of%20fregola,%20but%20my%20bet%20is%20that%20it%20is,%20in%20fact,%20a%20relative%20of%20couscous%20and%20a%20product%20of%20Moorish%20influence,%20which%20was%20considerable%20in%20Sardinia,%20if%20perhaps%20not%20as%20strong%20as%20in%20Sicily.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EFinding%20true%20arselle%20is%20probably%20an%20impossible%20dream%20for%20most%20of%20us,%20so%20best%20to%20simply%20make%20sure%20that%20the%20clams%20you%20do%20buy,%20as%20mentioned,%20are%20as%20small%20as%20possible.%20You%20can%20even%20cheat%20a%20little%20and%20use%20bottled%20or%20canned%20clams,%20but,%20of%20course,%20the%20taste%20will%20not%20be%20same.%20(Nor%20will%20the%20texture,%20since%20the%20meat%20tends%20to%20be%20quite%20rubbery.)%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThe%20portions%20indicated,%20by%20the%20way,%20are%20really%20just%20notional.%20Like%20many%20traditional%20recipes,%20they%20can%20vary%20freely%20according%20to%20taste%20and%20pocket-book.%20Add%20more%20clams%20if%20you%20want,%20and%20more%20or%20less%20tomato%20as%20you%20prefer%20(or%20none%20at%20all,%20for%20a%20version%20in%20bianco).%20Some%20recipes%20for%20this%20dish%20call%20for%20sun-dried%20tomatoes%20and/or%20a%20bit%20of%20peperoncino,%20added%20to%20the%20soffritto.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThe%20ratio%20of%20pasta%20to%20water,%20on%20the%20other%20hand,%20is%20important,%20although%20there,%20too,%20the%20quality%20of%20the%20pasta%20will%20determine%20how%20much%20liquid%20it%20absorbs.%20The%20quantity%20indicated%20here%20is%20a%20kind%20of%20minimum.%20The%20dish%20can%20be%20served%20quite%20brothy,%20more%20of%20a%20soup%20than%20a%20pasta,%20quite%20dry%20or,%20as%20I%20prefer,%20something%20rather%20in-between.%3C/p%3E){kind=link}