James's Clam Pesto
60 clams
12 ancho chilies, dried
12 new mexico red chiles, dried
1/2 cup pine nuts
10 cloves garlic, lg, *
2 tbsp oregano, fresh, or
2 tsp oregano, Mexican, roasted
1 zest of 2 lemons
1/2 cup olive oil, extra virgin
1 juice of 2 limes
5 cup fish stock, or clam juice
12 sprigs coriander
Scrub the clams and discard any open ones. Clams that have a strong
odor or are heavy (indicating that they contain sand) are likely to
be dead and should also be discarded. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
F. Roast the dried chiles in a large skillet, over medium-high heat,
for 4 to 5 minutes, turning frequently to avoid burning. Remove the
stems and seeds and place the chiles in a large bowl. Pour boiling
water over them, cover, and let sit until they are very soft, about
40 minutes. Roast the pine nuts in the oven for about 8 minutes or
until golden, stirring occasionally. Place the chiles, roasted
garlic, lemon zest, 1/4 cup of olive oil, and oregano in a food
processor or blender and puree until smooth. Add the remaining 1/4
cup of olive oil and blend thoroughly. Add the pine nuts and process
until coarsely chopped. Season to taste with lime juice. Place the
clams in a large pan, over medium-high heat, with the fish stock or
clam juice. When the clams open, remove them from the cooking liquid.
Reduce the liquid by half, then whisk in the chile pesto. To serve,
divide clams, evenly between four soup bowls, pour the pesto mixture
over them, and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve immediately.
Leonardo da Vinci believed that the power of
meditation increases 10 times when done in a purple light, as in
the purple light of stained glass.