For the lardo: Mix together the salt, fennel seed, lavender, meat cure , white pepper and nutmeg . Rub the mixture on all sides of the pork fat and place in a plastic, stainless steel or glass container. Cover with plastic wrap , and then foil, and put a heavy plate or lid on top to force out moisture. Refrigerate for 5 days to cure.
Remove the plastic wrap and foil, rinse, and pat dry. Let air dry in a bowl for 10 days on a rack in the refrigerator.
For the steamed clams: Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallots and saute until translucent. Add the clams, chile flakes, bay leaves , thyme , some salt and the wine . Cover and steam until the clams open. Cool the cooked clams in the refrigerator; reserve the cooking liquid. Shell the clams and discard the shells.
For the chowder: Combine the fish fumet, reserved clam cooking liquid and corn cobs in a saucepan over medium heat and simmer for 30 minutes to create the chowder broth . Strain through a fine mesh strainer .
Ladle 4 cups of the broth into a saucepan with the shell beans, roasted corn kernels, potatoes , butter and some salt, black pepper and chile flakes. Cook until reduced and the broth slightly thickens, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley and 1 cup of the shelled, cooked clams.
For the cobia: Sprinkle the cobia with salt and black pepper. Heat the canola oil in a pan until hot, and then sear the fish, top-side down. When the fish is cooked about halfway through, add the butter, thyme, bay leaves and garlic to the pan. As the butter melts, baste the fish using a large spoon until cooked through.
For assembly: Slice the lardo paper-thin with a sharp knife and lay the slices over the seared, hot cobia. The lardo will " melt " over the hot fish. Spoon the clam chowder into the bottom of 6 deep single-serving bowls and top with seared fish.
Notes This recipe was provided by a chef, restaurant or culinary professional and may have been scaled down from a bulk recipe. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.
