Confessions of a Chicken's Clam Diggin'

My husband Chris and I have a standing date night on Tuesdays, which is always a fun and nice break for us.  These Tuesday adventures serve as a gentle tease of our once kid-free, cooler selves, although we wouldn't trade our rascals for all the martinis in the world.  Our weekly romps have sparked countless adventures albeit challenging Wednesday mornings, but we always seem to end up at this one place in Lower Queen Anne- Crow.  In fact, we always seem to order the same things, even though we pledge to pull the trigger on something different each return.


When we first arrived in Seattle an old friend took me to Crow, toting "welcome to the great food scene."  She insisted we try the manila clams steamed in a chorizo tomato broth, which I admit didn't sound appetizing to me.   I hadn't tried this food pairing prior to moving to the Pacific Northwest-- seems like more of a local deal, which explains its absence from the Midwest and Southern California.  Stupidly skeptic, a big bowl of baby mollusks tossed with chunks of sassy pork arrived steaming at the table.  A changed woman!  An addicted junkie!  This dish is ridiculously good- I'd even eat it for breakfast.  The clams are delicate and mild, perfectly coupled with the chorizo's spice and salt. And the broth is full of big flavor- it begs to be sopped up by the yummy table bread.  Chris and I have found this bite scattered around Seattle, but I don't think anyone else stacks up to Crow's recipe.  Let me know if you know of any contenders, and we will gladly go digging. 


Next up, the chicken.  Typically I have this unwritten rule of not ordering the one meat I cook fairly well and often.  It's just one of those things that doesn't seem sexy on a night off from kid friendly food.  I now know it's a dumb hang-up, especially after our server gave me no choice in my entree order.  Quote: "You don't have a choice, I'm ordering the chicken for you..."  For anyone that lives up here in the Northwest, you know this is pretty atypical of Seattle folks, so I took this as a non-negotiable dinner omen.  Amen, sister- bring me some chicken wrapped in ham!  Brass comments aside, believe me when I say this dish is too good to be true.  The prosciutto seemed like it was dusted on the juiciest chicken- so light and crispy, and sauced in a creamy wonderland that had us licking the plate.  The true test (and semi-embarrassing fact) is Chris and I have alternated ordering this dish almost as many months as we've lived here, and it always delivers.  To take it a step further, we now sit at the chef's bar, determined to crack the recipe by spying on the preparation.  Whatever it is they do works because Crow's Tuesday prowlers are coming back for more. 


http://www.eatatcrow.com/
823 5th Ave. N.
Seattle, WA 98109
(206) 283-8800