Who says clam sauce is only good for pasta? Not this buttery, corn-studded, one-pan wonder. I, personally, am not a fan of whole clams because of what I perceive as the “ya-ya” consistency, but I don’t mind them cut up in soups or appetizers. So when we came across this recipe in our latest bon appétit magazine, Russ was hoping I’d agree to placing this on a weeknight menu—he adores clams!
Realizing he could eat all of the clams and I’d still have cod and corn, it wasn’t hard to win me over. The original recipe said it serves four, but we were hard pressed to see how. It almost vanished between the two of us, and I didn’t even eat any of the clams—with Mr. Hubby being the sole recipient of the entire dozen! In fact, Russ thinks you should add even more…
Coating the cod with flour before cooking prevents the flaky fillets from tearing; any bits left in the pan gives body to the clam mixture. Oh, and make sure to leave the shallots in the pan after removing the clams, you want them to get happy with the buttery corn. Verdict? Two thumbs up!
NOTE: When buying a big portion of cod or other skinless fish, you’ll often end up with the skinny tail end. Keep it from overcooking by folding the tail end underneath itself to create a piece that’s closer in thickness to the rest of the fillets. Then proceed to cook it as you would any other piece.
Skillet Cod, Clams, and Corn with Parsley
Ingredients
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1¼ lb. skinless cod fillet, cut into 4 pieces, patted dry
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Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
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⅓ cup all-purpose flour
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4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
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1 large shallot, finely chopped
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⅓ cup dry white wine
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12 littleneck clams, scrubbed
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2 medium ears of corn, kernels cut from cobs (1–1¼ cups)
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3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces
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¼ cup chopped parsley
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Lemon wedges (for serving)
Directions
- Season cod all over with salt and pepper. Sprinkle flour over a large plate and, working one at a time, press side of fillet where skin used to be into flour to thoroughly coat. Tap off excess and set on a platter, flour side up.
- Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large nonstick skillet with a tight-fitting lid over medium. Cook cod, floured side down, shaking skillet occasionally to prevent sticking, until flesh is opaque and starting to flake around the sides and underside is golden brown, 5–7 minutes.
- Carefully turn cod over and reduce heat to low. Cook until cooked all the way through (flesh should be completely opaque), about 2 minutes (thinner pieces may go more quickly). Place on platter, golden side up; take care not to break up the delicate fillets.
- Turn heat back up to medium, pour remaining 2 Tbsp. oil into skillet, and cook shallot, stirring often, until tender and golden, about 2 minutes.
- Add wine; cook until almost completely evaporated, about 1 minute. Add clams and cover skillet.
- Cook until clams open, about 5 minutes (some clams might take a few minutes longer).
- Uncover skillet and transfer clams (only), discarding any that didn’t open, to platter with cod.
- Reduce heat to low and add corn and butter to skillet. Cook, stirring, until butter is melted, sauce is thick and glossy, and corn is tender, about 3 minutes.
- Spoon corn mixture over fish and clams. Top with parsley; squeeze lemon wedges over.
Recipe courtesy Claire Saffitz of bon appétit
Accounting for Taste 