Backyard Bounty: Napeague Little Necks with Chef John Yaz

30 years ago, Chef John Yashinowsky or “Yaz” as most call him, started in the restaurant industry as a dishwasher in the Crow’s Nest Inn kitchen.

Fast-forward to today, and his career has brought him full circle, back to the kitchen where he first started his journey to be a chef so many years ago. Upon his return to the Crow’s Nest, there are some changes though; new owners, improvements to the kitchen and brand, major modern sustainable initiatives and most importantly one less pirate ship in the front yard (R.I.P).

And since leaving his sink station, there have been some changes in the chef as well. “Yaz” has owned and operated countless restaurants and kitchens, served as a private chef for some of the most well-known names on the East End, has made conscious decisions to cook with organic, locally harvested foods and has built his personal brand to be that of “Gourmet Chef/Bad-ass cook meets “OG” local surfer/family man,” and those traits are what people love most about him.

We couldn’t think of a better guy to tell us how to cook something, and boy did he spoil us with this one. Here is his recipe for making Napeague Little Neck Clams with fresh chorizo, simmered in Montauk Brew Co.’s Summer Ale. So put your cook hat on, get in the kitchen and whip-up this classic East End dish! Enjoy.
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Ingredients: 

18 small local little neck clams—washed

1 fresh chorizo sausage

½ Medium sized onion—sliced

One tablespoon of garlic—diced

One 12oz can of Montauk Brew Co. Summer Ale

Cooking oil

Spices:

Smoked paprika, fresh ground black pepper, fresh cilantro and a lime wedge

Directions:

  • 1.) Place onions, garlic and fresh chorizo sausage in a pan and sauté with your preference of cooking oil.
  • 2.) Then, add fresh chopped tomato or crushed tomato, and smoked paprika into pan.
  • 3.) Add clams and beer into pan to start the simmer
  • 4.) Simmer until clams open
  • 5.) Dump meal onto plate and sprinkle fresh cilantro and squeeze lime wedge onto clams
  • 6.) Marvel at your masterpiece for a moment then dig in! It’s that easy and so tasty! Enjoy!

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