We spent almost a decade living in New England, and when we were visiting friends this summer, we had the amazing opportunity to go clamming to retrieve the freshest, most delicious snack!
Cleaning your Clams
Here are a few tips to cleaning your clams. You can find more in-depth instructions from Fifteen Spatulas, which is what I used when I first started making clams.
- Wipe the clams well with a damp paper towel. You don’t want to get too much fresh water on the clams as you clean them because they are salt water creatures and you want to keep them alive until you cook them.
- In a bowl, combine COLD water and a lot of salt! Whisk until fully dissolved.
- Soak clams in salt water for at least 2 hours in the fridge
Classic Clams in Garlic Wine Broth
I had the amazing opportunity to go clamming with some friends on Cape Cod, which we brought home and prepared in a classic, flavorful broth of garlic, white wine, and lemon.
Equipment
- Microplane Zester
Ingredients
- 2 lb clams
- 1 medium shallot
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 lemon zest and juice
- 2 cups dry white wine
- 1/4 cup parsley
- 4 T unsalted butter
Instructions
- To clean the clams, wipe them off well using a damp paper towel, then soak in very salty water for 2-3 hours
- On medium heat, sautee shallots and garlic in olive oil until fragrant
- Add clams and wine, then cover with a lid you can see through.
- Once clams begin to open, remove from the pan one-by-one
- To build the broth, add butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper until it’s reduced down. Right before you combine back with clams, add parsley.
- Either return clams to the pan and serve directly from the pan (what I did) or pour broth over clams in a large serving bowl
- Serve with lots of crostini or grilled bread to soak up that amazing broth! Cheers!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!