Name: Clams with bacon and corn
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 30 gm butter; 200 gm streaky bacon rashers, cut into 1cm pieces; 1 onion, finely chopped; 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1 tbsp thyme leaves; 2 corn cobs, kernels removed; 1 kg clams, cleaned, soaked in salted water for 15 minutes, rinsed well; 125 ml (½ cup) dry white wine; 60 gm crème fraîche; 2 tsp red wine vinegar or to taste; Finely grated rind of 1 lemon, plus 2 tsp juice, or to taste; 1 cup (loosely packed) flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped, plus extra to serve; 8 slices sourdough bread, toasted, to serve

Clams with bacon and corn

This is one of those meals where you can put the pot in the middle of the table and just let everyone serve themselves and get a bit messy. A pile of napkins and plenty of toasted sourdough are essential.

Serves 4

Prep

15M

Cook

15M

Total

30M

Ingredients

30 gm butter

200 gm streaky bacon rashers, cut into 1cm pieces

1 onion, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tbsp thyme leaves

2 corn cobs, kernels removed

1 kg clams, cleaned, soaked in salted water for 15 minutes, rinsed well

125 ml (½ cup) dry white wine

60 gm crème fraîche

2 tsp red wine vinegar or to taste

Finely grated rind of 1 lemon, plus 2 tsp juice, or to taste

1 cup (loosely packed) flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped, plus extra to serve

8 slices sourdough bread, toasted, to serve

Method

1.Heat butter in a large casserole over high heat, add bacon and stir until lightly browned (3-4 minutes). Transfer to a small bowl with a slotted spoon, then add onion to pan and sauté until translucent (3-4 minutes). Add garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant (1-2 minutes), then return bacon to pan, add corn, clams and wine, cover with a lid and cook, shaking pan occasionally, until clams open (2-3 minutes). Remove pan from the heat, stir through crème fraîche, vinegar, lemon rind and juice and parsley, season to taste, then top with extra parsley and serve with toasted sourdough.

Maxwell Adey Senior Food Editor & Stylist

Maxwell has always been passionate about food. Born into a restaurateur and award-winning produce farming family, he was strongly steered into pursuing a career in advertising after completing his Bachelor of Public Communication at University of Technology, Sydney. After a very short stint, he decided to enrol in Commercial Cookery at TAFE to follow his true passion. Maxwell started out working in some of Sydney’s finest restaurants (Est., Claude’s and Moon Park) which helped further his love of all things culinary and developed his technical ability to cook. Later, he was lured into the magical world of food publishing where he freelanced for ten years for notable Australian commercial and editorial brands. He has also run his own business where he sells his marinated olives, dressings and sauces at food markets and select retailers. He excitingly joins the Gourmet Traveller team to bring his technical and creative expertise in food to the brand.

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Styling by Emma Knowles