Red Chile Pesto Clams

------------- Recipe Extracted from Meal-Master (tm) v6.14 ------------------

Title: Red Chile Pesto Clams
Categories: Fish Main dish Seafood
Servings: 4

60 ea Clams
12 ea Ancho Chilies; Dried
12 ea New Mexico Red Chiles; Dried
1/2 c Pine Nuts
10 ea Cloves Garlic; Lg, *
2 tb Oregano; Fresh, OR
2 ts Oregano; Mexican, Roasted
1 x Zest Of 2 Lemons
1/2 c Olive Oil; Extra Virgin
1 x Juice Of 2 Limes
5 c Fish Stock; Or Clam Juice
12 ea Sprigs Coriander

* The large garlic cloves should be roasted and peeled.
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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.

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