By Victor Paul Alvarez
Ellen Brody hosts a dinner party in Peter Benchley’s “JAWS,” the novel, to reconnect with her waspish roots. It’s one of many tiresome subplots that Steven Spielberg wisely cut from the film, not the least of which is a bit in which Matt Hooper and Mrs. Brody have an affair.
The novel’s dinner party includes the newspaper editor and his wife, Hooper, a local girl, and the Brodys. Chief Brody gets soused. Hooper is disappointed to discover the date arranged to keep him company is a lesbian. And Mrs. Brody serves gazpacho and lamb.
The novel’s meal has little connection to an East Coast island or the shark terrorizing it and the movie isn’t concerned with food at all, aside from the Christmas roast snatched by the beast from two buffoons who are lucky to survive the scene.
Before Chrissie Watkins is killed, she’s at an evening clam boil on the beach. Before the Chief and Hooper go down to the docks and cut that fish open, the Brodys have their fried fish, steamer clam and string bean supper crashed by the ichthyologist.
And before Robert Shaw delivers the greatest monologue of all time, the three men appear to have finished shit on a shingle – creamed chipped beef – and some wine or ale.
We’re not going to recreate these meals exactly, but we can use this as a template for a three-course, JAWS-themed meal that requires a little effort and a little care, and almost no shakin’ or tenderizin’.
One-Pot Clam Boil
Photograph by Jo-Ann Melton
- 2 tblsp olive oil
- 2 pounds cured/smoked chorizo or kielbasa, cut into 3” pieces
- 3 yellow onions, sliced thin
- 2 heads garlic, split in half
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- Hefty pinch of crushed red pepper flakes and/or black peppercorns
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Four cans Narragansett beer
- 2 lbs medium red potatoes, quartered
- Three dozen littleneck clams, scrubbed and rinsed
- 4 ears corn, husked and halved
- ½ cup thinly sliced scallions
- 1 cup chopped cilantro or parsley
- Lemon wedges for serving
In your biggest stock pot cook the chorizo over medium heat until gently browned. Remove.
Add onions, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, peppercorns and flakes, salt.
Cook about five minutes, stirring often, until onions are soft.
Add beer and potatoes, adjust seasoning, and raise heat to medium high. (Don’t worry if foam appears on top. That’s just the beer. No need to skim it off).
Cook, covered, until potatoes are almost tender. Add sausage, clams and corn, cover, and cook until the clams open.
About 2 minutes.
Ladle into bowls and serve garnished with scallions and herbs and lemon wedges.
Fried Swordfish with Salmoriglio Sauce
Photograph by Jo-Ann Melton
- Three eggs
- A few dashes of your favorite hot sauce
- 2 swordfish steaks (or any firm-fleshed white fish)
- 2 cups AP flour
- Kosher salt and fresh pepper to taste
- ½ tblsp smoked paprika
- Vegetable oil to coat a skillet by a ½ inch
- Two pats unsalted butter
- 1 minced garlic clove
- Juice of half a lemon
- Zest of half a lemon
- ½ cup of freshly chopped parsley
Beat eggs together in a bowl big enough to hold the fish with the hot sauce and a little salt and pepper. Add fish and set in fridge for one hour or up to three.
Dredge fish in flour seasoned with salt, pepper, and paprika. Set on a plate in the fridge while you bring the oil to medium-high heat in a heavy-bottomed skillet. Add fish to skillet and fry gently to golden brown on one side – about three minutes.
Flip carefully and finish cooking the other side. Remove to a cooling rack or a plate with paper towels. Drain all oil from skillet but do not remove any browned bits.
Set skillet on medium heat and add butter, garlic, juice and zest. Stir together and scrape up the brown bits in the pan. Cut heat, add parsley, and pour over fish to serve alongside a salad or vegetable of your choice.
Oven Baked S’mores
Photograph by Jo-Ann Melton
Simpiy because no one wants cream chipped beef.
You need a dessert, and this is sort of shit on a shingle but delicious
You probably know how to do this but if you don’t:
Top a bunch of graham crackers with Hershey’s chocolate and an equal number of graham crackers with marshmallows.
Put them on a baking sheet, slide them under the broiler for 1 or 2 minutes, and enjoy.
ABOUT VICTOR PAUL ALVAREZ
Victor Paul Alvarez is a chef and author based in Bristol, RI, who visits Amity (Edgartown) every year with his two children. He’ll write it for three, but he’ll spellcheck it, and format it properly, for 10.
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