Small Bites: Pan-Roasted Cod and Rhode Island Littlenecks

GoProvidence.com and the Providence Journal bring you Small Bites: Easy-to-Digest Recipes. Chef Max Peterson brings us a delicious seafood recipe from Hemenway's that includes fresh local littlenecks and chourico. Check out the video and full recipe below.

Pan-Roasted Cod and Rhode Island Littlenecks

- Chourico broth (see recipe)

- 2 dozen local liittleneck clams

- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

- 1 pound fingerling potatoes, cooked in salted water for 4 minutes or until tender.

- 1 bunch Tuscan kale, cleaned and stems removed

- 1½ pounds fresh cod

- Canola oil, for cooking

- 4 slices sourdough bread cut into 1/4-inch rounds

- Fresh chives, to garnish

- Sea beans for garnish, if available (see note)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

In a large pot add chourico broth and the clams. Bring to a simmer and cover to open clams, approximately 5 minutes. Once clams are open, add the butter, potatoes and kale, and cook for another 5 minutes until kale is wilted and potatoes are hot and tender.

To prepare cod, cut the fish into four 6-ounce portions and season both sides of each with salt and pepper.

In a large 12-inch oven-safe sauté pan, heat a thin layer of canola oil on high heat until the oil just begins to smoke. Carefully add pieces of cod to the oil, skin side up, and sear until the edges become golden brown. Carefully shake the pan to release the cod from the pan.

Cod is delicate, so if after the first shake the fish doesn’t release, carefully add a little white wine and lightly shake, using a fish spatula to encourage the fish to release.

Flip the cod to so it's skin side down and place the entire pan into the 450-degree oven for 7-9 minutes or until it is cooked through.

Brush the bread with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and grill on both sides until crispy.

To Serve: With a slotted spoon, divide the littlenecks, chourico, kale and potatoes among four large serving bowls. Try to create a bed for the cod with the potatoes and chourico in the middle and littlenecks surrounding.

Carefully place the cod on the potatoes and chourico, ladle the chourico broth around the littlenecks so it just pools a third of the way up and around them. Finally garnish with fresh sea beans and chives. Serve with slices of grilled sourdough to soak up the broth.

Note: Hemenway's uses sea beans for a garnish. They are found in most salt marshes in Rhode Island. The restaurant purchases them through their local seafood purveyor.

Serves 4.

Chourico Broth

- 4 tablespoons olive oil

- 1 pound chourico, 1/2-inch diced

- 4 large shallots, julienne

- 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

- Salt/black pepper

- 2 tablespoons Pimenta Moida (Portuguese fermented pepper sauce) or sriracha garlic seasoning

- 1 teaspoon chili flakes or crushed red pepper

- 1 cup dry white wine

- 2 cups clam juice (fresh preferred)

- Juice of 1 lemon

In a 12-inch shallow pot, heat oil on medium high, add chourico and start to render.

Once the chourico starts to brown and stick slightly to the pan, add the shallots and garlic, season with salt and pepper and stir.

Once the shallots and garlic become tender, add pepper sauce and chili flakes and cook until fragrant. Add white wine and clam juice, bring to a simmer and cook mixture down by half, or approximately 4 minutes.

Finish with lemon juice and season to taste.