Clams with Crispy Ham and Butter Beans

This recipe was originally published in the award-winning cookbook The Cook You Want to Be by Andy Baraghani (Lorena Jones Books, 2022). Reprinted here with permission.

You can purchase The Cook You Want to Be here

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 slices serrano ham or prosciutto
• 3 spring onions, or 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
• 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 cup dry white wine (plus a lot more for drinking)
• 4 pounds (about 40) small-ish clams (such as littleneck or manilla), scrubbed
• 1 (15 oz) can butter, cannellini, or other white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup coarsely chopped parsley
• 1 cup aioli, recipe follows
• 4 thick slices crusty bread, toasted

Method:

1. Line a plate with a paper towel and place it near the stove.
2. Place a large pot over medium heat, add the oil, and, when it’s shimmering, arrange half the ham in a single layer in the pot to avoid overcrowding. Cook the ham, turning once or twice, until shriveled up and crisp, about 3 minutes. Transfer to the prepared plate to drain, leaving behind any fat in the pot, and repeat with the remaining ham.
3. Add the onions and garlic to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened but not browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and paprika and cook until the tomato paste has taken on a deep brick-red color, about 2 minutes.
4. Pour the wine into the pot and let reduce by half, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the clams and cover, shaking the pot occasionally, until they begin to open, 3 to 7 minutes, depending on how large your clams are. As the clams open, use tongs to transfer them to a bowl.
5. Turn the heat to medium-low and add the beans to the pot. Stir, letting the beans soak up some of the clam broth and warm through for a minute or two. Return the clams to the pot. Turn off the heat, sprinkle in half the parsley, and toss to distribute thoroughly.
6. Slather the aioli on top of the toasts and place one in each of four bowls. Spoon the clams, beans, and broth over the bread. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley. Crush the crispy ham, sprinkle over the bowls, and dig in.

The Greatest Aioli

Serves: ¼ cup

Ingredients:

• 1 egg yolk
• ½ cup neutral oil (such as grapespeed)
• Water, as needed
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
• Fresh lemon juice for seasoning
• Kosher salt

Method:

1. Grab a dish towel and get it damp. Roll it up lengthwise and form it into a ring on the counter, then set a deep medium bowl in the ring. This will keep the bowl steady and secure on your work surface while one hand is whisking as the other hand streams in the oil.
2. Add the egg yolk to the bowl and whisk until it turns a shade lighter and you see a few tiny bubbles. That’s when it’s time to start adding the oils. Slowly drizzle in the neutral oil, just a trickle at first. (If you pour in too much at the start, the egg and oil might not emulsify properly.) Keep adding neutral oil until the mixture starts to look ribbony and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Your wrist might be tired at this point, but don’t worry, you’re almost done. The yolk will have begun to reach the point where it has absorbed the maximum amount of oil it can, so add a few drops of water to loosen it.
3. Carry on whisking as you continue streaming in the rest of the neutral oil and then the olive oil– you can speed up the pour now— until all the oil is mixed in and the aioli looks luscious and smooth and clings to a spoon. Add the garlic and a few drops of lemon juice and whisk once or twice to incorporate. Taste, season with salt, and give another stir with the whisk. The aioli keeps, covered and refrigerated, for up to 2 days.