Chef Bill Fuller's Beach House Recipes

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Chef Bill Fuller stopped by PTL to cook up some delicious beach house dishes!

Clams Steamed with Carolina Ham and Little Else

• 3 doz. Littleneck Clams
• ¼ C. Cornmeal
• 1 Tbs. Kosher salt
• ½ # Piece of uncooked aged smoked Carolina ham (I prefer the 12 month aged ham. Bacon, Prosciutto, and pancetta all will work
• well.)
• 3 ears Corn, cut off the cob
• ½ C. White wine
• 2-3 ea. Sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 Tbs. Butter
• Loaf of rustic bread

Here is a very simple recipe for steamed clams I made at the beach recently. When selecting clams, buy only clams that are tightly closed. Don't be afraid to ask your fishmonger for specific individual clams from the case. Ask to smell them. They should smell slightly like the ocean but have no over-riding aroma. DO NOT BUY BIGGER CLAMS FOR THIS RECIPE! Larger clams are tough and often muddy tasting. Even though they are labeled chowder clams, I use the smaller, sweeter littlenecks for everything.

1. Place clams in a large bowl and cover with cold water and a tablespoon of salt. Add cornmeal and mix in. Allow to stand for an hour or so. This allows the clams to circulate the water and in the process purge their grit replacing it with the grains of cornmeal.
2. Drain and rinse the clams. Scrub shells with a small brush or a nylon scrub pad. Make sure that when scrubbing you place a little lateral pressure on the shells. Often a clam dies and the shell fills with mud and sand and this will you're your dish. The lateral pressure on the shell will cause it to slide apart. Rinse clams again and set aside.
3. Dice ham into 1/8" dice. It is best to do this when the ham is very cold. Be careful and use a sharp knife as the ham has a very heavy texture in this state.
4. Select a sturdy pot that has a tight-fitting lid. Place ham in the bottom of the pot, place on stove and render slightly. Add clams, white wine, corn, and thyme and cover with the lid.
5. Place pot over medium-high heat. When they begin to steam, shake once or twice. Clams are done when all are opened. If all open but one or two, discard the unopened clams.
6. Swirl in butter and serve. We eat these right out of the shells (with our fingers!) and dip rustic bread in the clam liquid.

Striped Bass and Herbed Tomato Salad

For this salad, you want tomatoes and peppers that are perfectly ripe, recently picked, and that have never seen the inside of a refrigerator. Go to your garden, the farmer's market, or your buddy's garden. Get a big handful of soft herbs and make dinner. For chilis, I recommend Hungarian hot wax or banana peppers or a similar variety but you can adjust to your palate. A super sweet red pepper and a hot chili work well together. Use heirloom varieties of peppers and tomatoes if available.

Whenever I use onions raw, I always soak them in cold water after I cut them for about 10 minutes. I then drain and rinse them well. This removes the sulfur-y compounds and gives the dish a cleaner flavor.

Buy very fresh fish that has the odor of the sea. I prefer striped bass when I am at the beach, since it is indigenous to the area.

• 4 ea. Filets of striped bass t(or other firm, delicious fish)
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil
• 1-2 Tbs. Butter
• 2-4 ea. Very ripe tomatoes
• ¼ ea. Red onion, julienned and rinsed
• 1-3 ea. Chilis, sliced thinly, de-seeded if very spicy
• 8 each leaves of basil
• 20 or so leaves of mint, and parsley
• 8 small sprigs of cilantro
• 1-2 ea. Limes
• Sea Salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• Drizzle of very good Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Toasted Crusty Bread

1. Heat a wide skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Pat the fish filets dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Place enough oil in skillet to lightly coat the bottom. Place filets in hot oil and allow them to brown. Do not overly fiddle with the fish or it will pull apart. Allow the meat to cook itself free from the pan. Add the butter (it will flavor the fish and help free any sticking filets) and turn the fish. Allow striped bass to finish cooking on second side.
4. While striped bass is cooking, quarter or chunk tomatoes and place in a large mixing bowl.
5. Sprinkle with onions and peppers. Tear herbs into smaller pieces and sprinkle into bowl.
6. Squeeze lime juice over everything and season with sea salt and a black pepper. Mix once or twice.
7. When the fish is cooked, place the filets on four plates. Spoon tomato mixture on and around.
8. Splash with olive oil. Serve with bread and eat like mad.