Stout-Braised Clams Recipe

Stout-Braised Clams Recipe

From Carole Kotkin’s Sunday Supper

Main Dish

Stout-Braised Clams with Potato, Fennel and Bacon

Serve this straight from the pot with crusty bread. A creamy chardonnay such as the Raymond Reserve 2009 ($19.99) would pair well with the plump clams. The wine’s acidity would balance the sweet saltiness of the bacon.

1/4 pound thick-cut, maple-cured bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/4 pound fingerling potatoes (about 4), cut into 1/2-inch chunks

1/2 small white onion, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

1 fennel bulb, halved, cored and cut into 1/2-inch chunks (reserve and chop fronds)

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

24 littleneck clams, well-scrubbed

1 cup stout

1 cup chicken stock

2 tablespoons unsalted butter