Make Virginia clams the star of the show.
Virginia clams with sausage and kimchee.
Photo by John Murden
It may be oyster season, but let's give a clam a chance, shall we? Harvested year-round in Virginia, clams shine in the company of savory sausage and piquant kimchee and make for the perfect simple seafood-centric early fall dinner. Try our menu, including a cocktail crafted specially for us, you'll see.
Virginia Clams with Sausage and Kimchee
Courtesy of The Roosevelt in Richmond 1 pound Virginia littleneck clams, rinsed and scrubbed 1 pound garlic sausage 4 ounces kimchee purée (hot or mild, your choice) 4 ounces roughly chopped kimchee 2 tablespoons butter 4 ounces white wine, chicken broth or water (your choice) toasted bread Heat a heavy-bottomed sauté pan over medium heat. Add butter and sausage. Once the sausage is nearly cooked, add the clams. Stir to coat the clams in the rendered fat. Add the broth to deglaze the pan. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the kimchee purée and chopped kimchee. Cover, and let steam until the clams pop open, generally 3 to 4 more minutes. Serve in a bowl with the broth and toasted bread. Serves one as an entrée or two as an appetizer. RooseveltRVA.com Roasted Sweet Potato, Avocado and Pine Nuts Salad
Roasted sweet potato, avocado and pine nuts.
Photo by Scot Gordon
2 sweet potatoes, peeled, sliced lengthwise 3 Roma tomatoes, halved 1 avocado, sliced 6 ounces baby spinach ½ cup pine nuts extra virgin olive oil salt and pepper 3 tablespoons honey 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil Sprinkle sweet potatoes and tomatoes with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Place in a baking dish and bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. In a hot skillet, toast pine nuts until golden brown. For dressing, mix honey, vinegar and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Arrange ingredients on plate and spoon dressing evenly over top. Serves 2-3.
Apple tart
Crust 1 pound lard 6 cups all-purpose flour 1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 egg 1 tablespoon vinegar cold water Filling 5 large golden delicious apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1⁄4 inch-thick slices 1⁄2 to 3⁄4 cup sugar 1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon 1 tablespoon flour 1 tablespoon butter in small pieces Finish 1 egg 1 tablespoon water raw sugar or mixture of equal parts sugar and brown sugar 2 tablespoons melted and strained apricot preserves Mix lard, flour, baking powder and salt together with a pastry cutter until well blended—it should resemble a coarse crumb mixture. Do not overwork. Crack the egg into a one-cup measuring cup, add the vinegar, and beat well. Add to this mixture enough cold water to make one cup total. Using the pastry cutter, blend the egg mixture slowly into the dry ingredients until the dough “comes together.” Add a tablespoon more of cold water if needed. Yields enough to make three tart crusts or double-crust pies. You can freeze any remaining dough—just wrap enough for each individual crust in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Label and freeze. Divide dough as needed, and transfer to a lightly floured work surface. Pat the dough into a disk. Roll out the dough into a 16- to 17-inch circle about 1/4 inch thick. Line a large un-rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll the dough around your rolling pin, and unroll it onto the parchment. Preheat oven to 400. Meanwhile, combine cut apple slices with sugar, cinnamon and flour. Arrange the apple slices on top of the dough to within 3 inches of the edge. Place small butter pieces uniformly on top of apples. Fold the dough up and over the apples in a free-form fashion. Combine egg and water to form egg wash. Brush the tart generously with the egg wash, making sure you get in the folds. Sprinkle the crust with the raw sugar and bake in the center of the oven at 400 for 30 minutes. Then reduce heat to 350 and bake another 20-30 minutes, until crust is deep and golden brown and cooked through and the apples are tender and bubbling. Remove from the oven and brush the apples with the melted preserves. Slide the parchment onto a wire rack, and let the tart cool slightly before serving.
The Phoenician
Courtesy of Public Fish & Oyster in Charlottesville
The Phoenician.
Photo by Daniel Kaufman
1 1⁄2 oz. Oloroso sherry 1 1⁄2 oz. Byrrh 1 1⁄2 oz. Demarera syrup 2 dashes Peychauld bitters lemon peel Public Fish & Oyster owner Daniel Kaufman was inspired by the classic sherry-heavy Adonis cocktail. Mix all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir. Strain into a coupe and garnish with lemon peel. "What's nice about it with this dish is that the salinity of the sherry marries nicely with the clams while the light sweetness of the Byrrh cuts through the spice of the kimchi," he said.
