Giada Success

Couldn’t wait to start cooking from Giada DeLaurentiis’ new (and first!) cookbook, so I dove in today. I made her Clams Oreganata and Frittata with Potatoes and Prosciutto for dinner (and one more dish to round it out … OMG Mussels with Cognac Cream Sauce).

The Clams Oreganata were very flavorful and came together pretty easily. Next time, I’d cut back a little on the olive oil and not top with so much of the bread crumb mixture, but other than that, they were yummy. First time I’ve ever had to shuck a clam (or oyster, for that matter!) — it’s usually The Husband’s job. And after tonight, his job is safe. Those suckers are tough to manipulate!

The frittata was another very easy dish. Start to finish, it was done in under 30 minutes. Next time, I think I’ll add some melty cheese (perhaps a shredded Jack) to up the cheese quotient. With a 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, it just wasn’t cheesy enough for me.

All in all, success the first time out. Her recipes are very simple, flavorful, and even better … you usually have most, if not all, of the ingredients on hand.

Clams Oreganata
1/2 cup plain dried bread crumbs
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
2 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Coarse salt (for lining the baking sheet)
12 small Manila clams, scrubbed and shucked (shells reserved)

Preheat the broiler. In a large bowl, gently toss the bread crumbs, 1/2 cup of olive oil, all the herbs, the kosher salt, and the pepper. Be careful not to overwork the mixture. Set aside. Line a heavy baking sheet with some coarse salt and arrange the 12 clam shells atop the salt. Place one clam in each shell, then top with 2 tablespoons of the bread-crumb mixture. Drizzle with more olive oil. Broil until the bread-crumb topping is golden and the clams are just cooked through, about 2 minutes.

Frittata with Potato and Prosciutto
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion chopped
1 (15 oz) potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I didn’t peel, and diced smaller)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
6 large eggs
1/4 cup whipping (heavy) cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 oz thinly sliced prosciutto, coarsely chopped (I used about 6 oz)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

In a 9-1/2 inch diameter nonstick ovenproof skillet, heat the oil over a medium flame. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the potato, garlic, salt and pepper, and saute over medium-low heat until the potato is tender and golden, about 15 minutes. Preheat the broiler. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, cream, Parmesan cheese, prosciutto and basil to blend. Stir the egg mixture into the potato mixture in the skillet. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until the egg mixture is almost set, but the top is still runny, about 2 minutes. Place the skillet under the broiler and broil until the top is set and golden brown, about 4 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, loosen the frittata from the skillet and slide it onto a plate. Cut the frittata into wedges and serve.

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