Sharing Recipes from Todd English's New Restaurant at Atlantis

If you’ve been to Atlantis (actually, even if you haven’t been there), you know they do everything big. Want to go to the pool? Yeah, they have a 141-acre water park. Bored? You could probably start with the 90 table games and 750 slot machines at their gigantic casino. Thirsty? Good news! There are more bars, lounges, clubs, and cafés than you could probably ever visit in a single trip.

Now they’re going even bigger, with Todd English (yes, that Todd English) setting down roots to open the newest location for his famous Olives restaurant on site. If you haven’t been to Olives in Las Vegas, New York City, Boston, or Mexico City, think Mediterranean with a twist – like wood-fired flatbread, a Raw Bar with freshly caught seafood, and pasta made straight from their Italian SuperNova pasta machine.

And good news – if you’re not able to make it to Atlantis this weekend, we have two of their most popular recipes for you to try at home. Enjoy!

Steamed Clams in a Jalapeño Chorizo Broth

• 30 Littleneck clams, cleaned
• 10 ounces chorizo sausage
• 5 cloves crushed garlic
• 1 julienned shallot
• 1 shaved jalapeño pepper
• 1.5 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
• 1 cup Chablis wine
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 ounces butter
• Salt and pepper to taste

In a sauté pan over medium heat, cook the chorizo until it is just done. Add the garlic and shallots, and sauté until the shallots become translucent. Add the jalapeño and the clams, and then add the white wine to deglaze. Cover the sauté pan and reduce heat to a simmer, then cook until the clams are open. Discard any clams that don’t open. Remove the clams from the pan and bring the resulting liquor to a simmer. Whisk in the butter, add the parsley, and pour the sauce over the clams.

Steak Frittes

For the fries

• 1 pound Idaho potatoes
• 1 head of garlic, cut in half
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 1 gallon of canola oil for frying
• 1 tablespoon fresh grated parmesan cheese

For the steak

• 22 ounce cowboy-cut rib eye
• 3 ounces butter
• 3 sprigs thyme
• 2 ounces olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Lightly oil the steak and season with kosher salt and black pepper. Place the remaining oil in a heavy bottom pan, preferably cast iron, over medium high heat and sear the steak on each side for 2 -3 minutes. After the steak is seared, remove from the pan and drain the oil. Return the steak to the pan and add the butter and thyme. Baste the steak with the butter and cook until the steak is done to your preference. Olives suggests nothing over medium (and thinks that medium rare is perfect).

The secret to Olives' French fries is cooking them three times. First, cut the potatoes into fries and soak in water overnight. In a large pot, bring 2 gallons of water to a boil and add the potatoes. Cook until they just begin to get soft. Cool the potatoes and allow them to dry. In a large pot or fryer, bring the oil up to 300°F and add the fries, garlic, and rosemary. Cook until they begin to get a skin on them and are cooked through. Cool the fries, heat the oil up to 375ºF, and cook the fries until they are crisp. Lastly, drain the fries and toss with parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

Inspired to cook up a storm? Want to share some tips or tricks of your own? Either way, save us some of those triple-cooked fries...those sound amazing.