Newark, NJ. Hardly a destination for most people. It's kind of a poster child for urban decay and the various ills that accompany it. But there is a part of Newark that I consider a worthy destination: the Ironbound neighborhood, Ferry Street in particular. This is the neighborhood where they shot the Sopranos episodes focused on Tony's childhood. The ethnic mix there is Italian, Brazilian and Portuguese. The Portuguese are very well represented, taking pride in the neighborhood and making it almost impossible to walk down the street without finding a taste of Portugal. Portugal tastes good.
I found myself on Ferry Street this week with a little time to kill. Had it been close to the dinner hour I would have stopped at one of the old school restaurants there. (Iberia Peninsula is a favorite). But it was early in the day, so I just stopped in a Seabra's grocery to pick up some Portuguese items I have trouble finding in Manhattan. Among them was a Chourico Serrano, which I used just under half of to make this dish. I love the combination of pork and shellfish, even though it may seem weird to some.
I served this with the sides you might find at a Ferry Street restaurant: rice, black beans and collard greens. This will feed two. A Portuguese vihno verde would be a perfect accompaniment.
Chourico and Clams
1 dozen Little Neck clams, scrubbed
1/3 lb Chourico Serrano, sliced
1 cooking onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
4 Tbs olive oil
1/2 glass dry white wine
fistful of chopped Italian parsley
Heat a heavy bottomed pot, add oil and saute onions, garlic and chourico. Add wine and clams, bring to a simmer and cover. Clams will open in seven or eight minutes. Discard any that fail to open. Stir in parsley and serve immediately.
(This week I started a weekly food column in the Lo-Down, my neighborhood online news source. You can check it out here:
http://www.thelodownny.com/leslog/2011/07/jps-food-adventures-the-best-of-eldridge-street.html
Readers of this blog will find some familiar ground covered!)
Photos by Cynthia Lamb
I found myself on Ferry Street this week with a little time to kill. Had it been close to the dinner hour I would have stopped at one of the old school restaurants there. (Iberia Peninsula is a favorite). But it was early in the day, so I just stopped in a Seabra's grocery to pick up some Portuguese items I have trouble finding in Manhattan. Among them was a Chourico Serrano, which I used just under half of to make this dish. I love the combination of pork and shellfish, even though it may seem weird to some.
I served this with the sides you might find at a Ferry Street restaurant: rice, black beans and collard greens. This will feed two. A Portuguese vihno verde would be a perfect accompaniment.
Chourico and Clams
1 dozen Little Neck clams, scrubbed
1/3 lb Chourico Serrano, sliced
1 cooking onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
4 Tbs olive oil
1/2 glass dry white wine
fistful of chopped Italian parsley
Heat a heavy bottomed pot, add oil and saute onions, garlic and chourico. Add wine and clams, bring to a simmer and cover. Clams will open in seven or eight minutes. Discard any that fail to open. Stir in parsley and serve immediately.
(This week I started a weekly food column in the Lo-Down, my neighborhood online news source. You can check it out here:
http://www.thelodownny.com/leslog/2011/07/jps-food-adventures-the-best-of-eldridge-street.html
Readers of this blog will find some familiar ground covered!)
Photos by Cynthia Lamb
