39. Chile and Easter Island: Chilean Clams with Parmesan

Chile, I have always wondered about that long narrow country in South America, what kind of place is this? Well, apparently an awesome place with majestic mountains, and overwhelming lakes! And Easter Island I tried to read all the conspiracy theories but there are just too many The craziest of them is: Alien transport, the rats prevented the trees from regrowing so the population died of starvation. In other words some really creative people made up a story.

Here are some fun facts about Chile:

• Chile’s Atacama Desert is the driest place on earth. Some parts of the 363,000 square kilometers of desert have never received a drop of rainfall.
• In the year 1554, the Spanish conquistadors brought the first grapes to be planted in South America. As fate would have it, the crop would succeed beyond their wildest dreams. Today, Chile is the 5th largest exporter of wine and the 9th largest producer of grapes in the world.
• According to the Global Peace Index, Chile is the most stable and peaceful country in Latin America.
• Chile is the origin of 99% of the world’s potatoes. (Seriously!!!! If you see how many countries have potatoes in their diet, this is huge)
• The Straits of Magellan are popular with humpback whales. They are the only waters outside Antarctica waters where these whales gather for feeding.

There are ingredients that I just have to work with if I get the opportunity, ingredients I love so much I start drooling once I think about them. One of those things is clams! I love clams!
My mom sometimes makes this really simple but delicious pasta a la vongole. Maybe I will give you the recipe for that someday,… 😉 This recipe is a very fancy starter! Delicious everything was gone I knew it!

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup dry white wine
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• 24 clams
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1½ tablespoons butter
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions:

1. Heat the oven to 350ºF.
2. In a small bowl, mix the wine and lemon juice; set aside. Scrub the clamshells under running water to remove any sand. Shuck the clams: Holding a clam with a thick towel, work an oyster knife between the two shells at the exact point of the hinge.
3. Twist the knife, pry it open, and scrape out the meat into a small bowl. Reserve the shells. Put the clam meat in a strainer and rinse again under cold running water. Drain. Rinse 24 of the deepest shells again and pat dry.
4. Arrange the 24 shells on a baking pan. Divide the clam meat among the shells and top each with a teaspoon of the lemon-wine mixture and a scant grating of black pepper.
5. Put a tiny chip of butter on top, and then sprinkle the Parmesan, evenly divided.
6. Bake for 4 to 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the clams are just cooked through. Do not overcook or the clams will become rubbery.
7. Serve immediately.