yummy.

This recipe comes from Williams-Sonoma’s website.

Ingredients:

• 6 lb. littleneck clams, rinsed well
• 6 oz. pancetta, diced
• 3 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
• 2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
• 2 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1 Tbs. chopped fresh chives (optional)

Directions

Working with 1 clam at a time, hold it over a bowl to catch the juices. Place the blade of a clam knife horizontally across the shell and squeeze to open. Using the tip of the knife, remove the clam meat by cutting it away from the shell; place the meat in a separate bowl. Strain the juices through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth into a bowl. Add enough water to the juices to total 5 cups. Coarsely chop the clam meat. Set aside.

In a Dutch oven over medium heat, sauté the pancetta until crisp, about 5 minutes. Pour off all but 1 Tbs. of the fat, then melt the butter in the pan. Add the onion, celery, garlic and thyme and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute more. Add the potatoes, bay leaves and clam juice-water mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

Stir in the cream, Worcestershire, salt, black pepper and cayenne. Using a fork, lightly mash the potatoes against the side of the pot to thicken the soup. Add the clams and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and discard. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and garnish with the chives. Serves 8.

Ingredients:
2 boneless beef sirloin, cut into 1 inch cubes
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
All-purpose flour for dredging
4 tbsp unsalted Kerrygold Irish butter
1/4 cup canola oil
4 medium onions, chopped
2 cups beef stock
2 cups Guinness
5 carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
4 parsnips, peeled and thickly sliced
1 medium turnip, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 cup pearl barley

Directions
Season the meat with salt and pepper and dredge in flour. In a stockpot or large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter with the oil. Cook the meat on all sides for 5 to 7 minutes or until evenly browned. Remove from the pot. Stir in the onions and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until soft.

Return all the meat to the pot and add enough of the beef stock and Guinness to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for about an hour or until meat is nearly tender. Add the carrots, parsnips, turnip, and barley and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the vegetables and meat are tender and stew is thickened.