So the creation in the image is the secret of the gourmet chefs at Mountain Ridge Wines where they serve our Phettuccine. So I won't give that away, but if you can't try it out there, you can easily do a Super Vitamin B from the Sea Chowder at home.
You will need:
- 24 medium-sized mussels or clams of your choice
- 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
- 2 leeks, tops removed, halved and cleaned, then sliced into half moons
- 3 large nests of Phettuccine
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups cream of your choice
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- ¼ cup chopped parsley.
Then you need to:
- Put the mussels/clams in a large, heavy Dutch oven, add about 4 cups water, then set over medium-high heat. Cover, and cook until shellfish have opened, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Strain clam broth through a sieve lined with cheesecloth or doubled-up paper towels, and set aside (keep this). Remove clams from shells, and set aside as well.
- Rinse out the pot, and return it to the stove. Add butter/oil, and turn heat to medium-low. Add the leeks to the fat, and cook, stirring frequently, until they are soft but not brown, about 10 minutes. Add the nest of Phettuccine, add enough clam broth (est. 3 cups) to cover the Phettuccine and wine, and continue cook until wine has evaporated and the pasta is just al dente, approximately 5 minutes. Add the thyme and the bay leaf.
- When done, add cream and stir in mussels/clams. Add black pepper to taste. Let come to a simmer, and remove from heat. (Do not let chowder come to a full boil.) Fish out the thyme and the bay leaf, and discard.
- The chowder should be allowed to sit for a while to cure. Reheat it to a bare simmer before serving, then garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with delishous fresh crusty sourdough.
