You may want to be SHELLFISH and not share any of these delicious clams, but this recipe is designed for two. Perfect for Valentine’s Day, an anniversary, or special date night in, these clams are sure to impress.
I wanted to come up with something that is super easy, but seems impressive and complex. You will seem like a pro chef on your next date night when you put these on the table!
The thing that I love about this recipe is how quick it is to throw together. It will seem like something that took a lot longer and was a lot more difficult to make than it really is. The ease to deliciousness ratio is top notch on these bad boys.
One thing that you will need to take into consideration when making this is your clammy clams. You will want to purchase them the day you are going to use them so you don’t have to store them and run the risk of them dying on you. They can be stored in your refrigerator overnight but they need a little bit of attention to make sure they’re all healthy, happy and alive. If you need to buy them the day before, store them in your refrigerator sitting on some ice but not covered in ice. They need room to breathe so don’t keep them stored in a plastic bag, or at the very least make sure the bag is open so they can get air. They will suffocate!
Before you cook the clams give them a rinse in cold water to clean the shells off. Take a look at them and if any of them are open, give them a squeeze. If they don’t close up tight, throw it away – thats a dead clam, not good eatin’. If you give it a squeeze and it tries to close up, its good to eat.
If you want to really up the ante with this recipe, pair it with a beautiful wine! The recipe calls for wine anyway so the easiest way is to pair the clams with the same wine you cook with. This is called bridging, you are literally bridging the flavors of the wine and the food. I suggest pairing these clams with a dry white wine that has a good amount of acidity, like a stainless steel Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, or Pinot Grigio. I made this recipe with a wine local to my area, and I encourage you to explore your local wineries. They’re everywhere these days! If you are intimidated by buying wine, don’t fear! Go to your local upscale liquor store or specialty wine shop, there are people there to help you pick out a wine at any budget and they want to help! You can even have great luck getting help from your local grocery store, someone has curated that wine selection and they want to share it with you. All you need to do is ask.
If you are interested in knowing more about the specific wine I used, it is from a local winery here in Monterey County called Scheid Vineyards. We have been club members at this winery for going on seven years now! We absolutely love the variety that they offer and all of the wines are top quality at an approachable price point. I paired our clams with their 2019 Chalone Chardonnay. This is a stainless steel chardonnay, not the oakey-buttery Rombauer but a light, crisp and perfectly acidic wine. They ship to 45 states so if you aren’t in California, don’t worry! You can (probably) still try their wines. Head over to their website to order anything you want to taste.
Give this recipe a try, pair it with a beautiful wine, and impress the pants off of your special someone!
Steamer Clams
Ingredients
- 2 Lbs Clams Little Neck or Manilla are great options
- 2 oz Spanish Chorizo diced small
- 1 Tbsp Olive oil
- 1 Small Shallot minced
- 1 Lemon, juiced
- ⅓-½ Cup Dry White Wine I used a stainless steel Chardonnay but a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio would also work well. Whatever you have, as long as it isn't sweet!
- 1 Tbsp Parsley minced
- 1 Tsp Chives minced
Instructions
- Check your clams to make sure they are all alive. They should all be closed tightly or, if they are open, should close tight when you give them a sharp tap or squeeze. Any that don't close tightly should be discarded.
- Rinse your clams in cold water to make sure there is no sand or grit left on the outside of their shells.
- Heat a 10-12" skillet (that has a tight fitting lid) on high heat with olive oil. When your oil is hot, fry up the chorizo and shallot until the shallot is translucent.
- Add in your clams and mix them around so they are evenly spread out and coated in the oil/shallot mixture.
- Add in the white wine and lemon juice, continue to leave the burner on high heat, cover the pan with the lid and let the clams steam for about 7 minutes.
- After 7ish minutes, check the clams. They should be mostly open, if they are still not fully open, return the lid and steam for an additional 1-2 minutes. If they are mostly open, add in your herbs and stir everything around so they herbs are evenly dispersed.
- Continue to steam the clams with the lid off for an additional 1-2 minutes, until all of the clams are open. If there are a couple that have still not opened at this point, discard them.
- Separate the clams between two bowls then pour all the liquid over the top. Garnish with more fresh herbs and serve with a piece of crusty bread!
Made Turkey Pesto tonight, very impressed with texture and flavor so easy filled a naan topped with salad and yogurt yummmmmmm