Recipe - Red Chile Pesto Clams

60 Clams
12 Ancho Chilies; Dried
12 New Mexico Red Chiles; Dried
One half cup Pine Nuts
10 Cloves Garlic; Lg, *
2 tablespoon Oregano; Fresh, OR
2 teaspoon Oregano; Mexican, Roasted
Zest Of 2 Lemons
One half cup Olive Oil; Extra Virgin
Juice Of 2 Limes
5 cup Fish Stock; Or Clam Juice
12 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 mediumhigh 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, One fourth cup of
olive oil, and oregano in a food processor or blender and puree until
smooth. Add the remaining One fourth 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 mediumhigh 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.

From Rich, Sysop of The "New" Home BBS, 104/419.
File ftp://ftp.idiscover.co.uk/pub/food/mealmaster/recipes/seafood.zip