Burnt Orange Ice Cream & Clam, Bacon and Potato Pie

Lest you worry I've been setting off the smoke alarms again, the "burnt" in Burnt Orange Ice Cream refers to the caramelization process of the sugar and orange rind that provides the base for this luscious dessert. (and yes, yet another recipe in the book that calls for caramel) My only issue with making this ice cream was that I have very dark anodized cookware and it's hard to see what color the sugar is turning...I had to keep snatching some out with a fork and dropping it in a measuring cup to evaluate it. I think in hindsight I could have let it cook a little longer, but it was still a wonderful orange-y ice cream...not too far, actually, from those Creamsicles of my childhood. And great over brownies, which is how I served them to my book group.

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There's no big mystery to Clam, Bacon and Potato Pie--it's essentially Clam Chowder Pot Pie. Now, this seems weird for some reason when you mention it to people, but c'mon--this is a nation raised on frozen chicken and beef pot pies--why not clam pies too? Expand your horizons, you can do it!!

And of course it's delicious, and why wouldn't it be with a buttery homemade pie crust? The chowder is thick and infused with thyme, and it's got bacon, also known as Best Secret Ingredient Ever.

Dr. S. LOVED this, but Mrs. S., again worried about her figure, just pushed it around her plate. It's funny, she'll eat 12 oz. of clam chowder for lunch, but put it in a pie shell and she won't touch it.

Here's a photo of the pie, right out of the oven.




Neither of these recipes are on Epicurious, but if you must have one or both let me know and I'll post them.