pancetta

We first had pork cooked this way at Alice Waters’ house. The cutlets were sliced thick from a pork loin, given them a flattening pound, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and quickly seared in a hot skillet. Pork used to be much more marbled, but now that it is “the other white meat,” this lean cut needs to be cooked more like a chicken breast.

This shellfish stew offers a nice bit of flexibility, depending on what's in season around town and what your fishmonger might have on special. Serve the stew with a simple green salad and good, rusty bred for mopping up the juices.