Recipe: Clams Mariniéres with Soffritto

Adapted from "Bouchon," by Thomas Keller

Makes 4 Servings

Keller's slow-cooked version of soffritto takes about five hours to prepare, so a cook would do well to make it a day or two ahead of time.

2 ½ pounds Manila clams

¼ cup olive oil, preferably oil reserved from the soffritto

1/3 cup minced shallots

2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves

24 cloves garlic confit (see note)

¼ cup soffritto, recipe follows

Kosher salt and ground white pepper, to taste

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup dry white wine

4 long slices of French bread, brushed with olive oil and toasted

¼ cup aļoli or tapenade

2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped

Cracked black pepper

1. Wash the clams under cold running water; if they are very dirty, scrub with a clean scouring pad. Since the clams cook very quickly, it's important to have the ingredients and the serving bowls ready before you begin to cook.

2. Heat a large Dutch oven or two smaller pans with tight-fitting lids over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the oil and reduce the heat to medium. Add the shallots, cook one minute, then add the thyme, garlic confit, soffritto and salt and white pepper to taste.

3. Increase the heat to high, add the butter and clams, and toss the clams in the soffritto mixture. Cover the pan for 30 seconds, then add the white wine. Cover the pan again and cook until the clams have opened, about 1 minute.

4. While the clams are steaming, quickly spread the French bread with either aļoli or tapenade.

5. When the clams have opened, stir in the parsley and a generous grind of black pepper. Distribute the clams and their cooking liquid evenly among the serving bowls, place a piece of toast on each serving and serve immediately.

Note: To make garlic confit, cover a cup of peeled garlic cloves with 2 cups of canola oil in a heavy saucepan and simmer very slowly until the garlic is completely tender, about 40 minutes.