Artichoke Confit With Almonds Manila Clams And Vermouth Recipes

Steps:

• Place broth in a pot and heat until boiling. Over medium heat, warm up your skillet and pour in the olive oil. Add the onions and saute until translucent. Reduce heat and add the rice, allowing it to cook for 3-4 minutes. Increase the heat to medium, add the vermouth and stir constantly with a wooden spoon. Once vermouth has evaporated, add the boiling broth to the skillet one ladle at a time. Add a dash of salt and bring rice to a boil, then reduce heat. Stir occasionally to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the skillet. Rice will take aprox 16-18 minutes to finish cooking.
• When the risotto is ready, remove it from the heat and let it sit for a few minutes before serving. Sprinkle and mix in parmesan cheese. To plate: Place heaping spoonful of risotto on a plate with some lovely Italian salami, a slice of fresh cheese and some pickles.

Steps:

• Peel the cucumbers. Using a small spoon, or a melon baller, scrape the seeds out. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces; toss the cucumbers with the salt and transfer to a colander set over a bowl. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours or overnight.
• Transfer the cucumbers to a blender or food processor, discarding all exuded juices. Puree until smooth; pass through a food mill if desired. Whisk in the buttermilk and dill; set aside.
• Melt the butter in a saute pan over medium heat. When the butter foams, add the shallots and cook 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and stir over medium heat, 10 to 15 seconds. Add the vermouth, bring to a boil, and immediately strain into the reserved cucumber soup. Spread the shrimp and shallot mixture on a plate to cool, then refrigerate. Chill the soup.
• To serve: Adjust the consistency of the soup with more buttermilk if necessary. Season with vinegar, salt (add sparingly; it probably won't need much), and pepper to taste. Divide the shrimp between the chilled soup plates. Ladle the soup over the shrimp and garnish with red onion, chopped tomatoes, and bits of dill strewn about.

Steps:

• In a large saute pan cook the garlic in the olive oil until golden brown. Do not burn. Add the clams to the hot oil. **Be careful not to burn yourself. Add the wine, red pepper, fennel seed, lemon zest and juice.
• Raise the heat to high and steam the clams for 6 to 8 minutes until all the clams are open. Arrange the clams in 6 bowls using a slotted spoon. Add the tomatoes and parsley to the boiling broth and cook for 1 minute. Ladle the broth over the clams and serve.