For the Brown Butter
1. First brown the butter by melting it in a small saucepan on low heat until it begins to foam and then you start to see dark brown bits at the bottom. The butter will have darkened to golden brown and have a nutty, caramel-y, amazing aroma. Turn off the heat and let the butter cool so that the darkened bits settle. Set aside.
For the Whipped Brown Butter
2. Take two cups of the cooled brown butter, and transfer it into a bowl. Place the bowl over a larger bowl with ice. And start whisking to whip the butter. Keep whipping until it lightens in color and gets creamy. You can add salt to season now to your preference. Set it aside.
For the Tuile
3. Preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking tray with your silicone mold**.
4. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, almond flour, salt, and sugar. Add the brown butter. Stir to combine. It might look a little gritty but that is ok.
5. Add the egg whites. Stir again till a smooth batter form. It will be a little thin but spreadable
6. Divide in half in separate bowls, and add the squid ink in one and the parsley puree in the other. Mix to combine well.
7. Spread a tablespoon of the batter into each cavity in the mold, and scrape the excess batter with an offset spatula. Bake only 3 to 4 at a time at the most. Make sure to clean off all the extra batter.
8. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until each tuile is evenly browned. Rotate the tray often to make sure tuile are cooking evenly and bake for longer if needed depending on the thickness and size of your tuile.
9. Remove the tuile quickly from the mold and form them so it’s not flat, if desired. Let the tuile cool completely then transfer to an airtight container at room temperature.
For the Dish
10. Soak the clams in salted water in a bowl, and let stand for 2 to 3 hours to allow them to expel sand and dirt. Drain them in a colander. Rinse them well under running water.
11. Cook the Barilla Al Bronzo Spaghetti as instructed in the box. Strain and season, adding a couple tablespoons of the reserved brown butter, mix and set aside.
12. In a wok or deep sauté pan in medium heat, sauté the garlic and onions in a little bit of oil. Add the clams, and a few tablespoons of the brown butter and toss together for a minute or so.
13. Add the sake, and soy sauce. Add the greens as well. Cover and cook on medium heat. After the shells open, add the spaghetti. Mix and stir for a few minutes. Remove from heat.
14. For plating spread a spoonful of the whipped butter, and dot it with the soy reduction. Place the spaghetti and clams on top and garnish with the tuile and Parsley powder and Togarashi pepper.
Chef Notes:
** Silicone molds for tuiles with different forms are available at most pastry shops and online. Itameshi which is Japanese for “Italian food”, is a style of Japanese cooking that is rooted in Italian cuisine, and is localized with Japanese flavors, ingredients and sensibilities. It is not fusion, at least in the conventional sense of the term. Rather, it is Italian food (specially pasta) spoken with a distinct Japanese accent. This dish is a great example of cooking where it can highlight the local flavors and not stray too far from the Inspiration cuisine. Instead of the usual olive oil, I wanted to highlight brown butter to recreate this dish, and feature it a few different ways, in the cooking sauce, in a whipped form for finishing sauce on the plate, and as a tuile for extra texture.
