How to Cook and Eat Steamer Clams

Name: How to Cook and Eat Steamer Clams
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Global
Ingredients: 1 kilograms soft shell steamer clams; 118 milliliters butter, melted; 1 serving Chicken; 1 serving Beef; 1 serving Pork; 1 serving Fish and Seafood; 1 serving Pasta and Noodles

How to Cook and Eat Steamer Clams is a main course that serves 4. One serving contains 412 calories, 18g of protein, and 32g of fat. This recipe covers 13% of your daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. From preparation to the plate, this recipe takes about 25 minutes. This recipe from Simply Recipes requires pork, butter, chicken, and beef.

Instructions

Soak the steamers in sea water or salty water: Ideally, if you have the time, place the steamers in a bucket and cover with several inches of sea water or salty water (a tablespoon of sea salt completely dissolved in every quart of water), and let sit several hours in a cool place (not in direct sunlight), preferably overnight.

Ingredients you will need

Sea Salt

Water

After a while, you'll notice that each clam has a foot that will start to extend out of the shell. This is normal. The clams are usually buried in the sand with only the foot extending up to the surface of the water.

Ingredients you will need

Clams

Water

The steamer clams will discharge any sand or dirt while they are sitting in the water, so the water may become rather murky. You can change the water if you want.

Ingredients you will need

Clams

Water

If you don't have time to let the clams soak for hours, just put several of them at a time in a large bowl, cover with salt water, and gently swirl the water around with your fingers for half a minute.

Ingredients you will need

Clams

Water

Salt

Equipment you will use

Bowl

If the clams release sand or grit, dump out the water and rinse the clams out in the same manner again, until no more sand is released. (They may still release some sand and grit while cooking, but you will dip them in the clam broth before dipping them in butter when you eat them, helping to rinse away any remaining grit.)

Ingredients you will need

Butter

Broth

Clams

Water

Dip

Steam the clams: When ready to cook, put about an inch of water (you can also use beer or a stout) in the bottom of a tall, large pot.

Ingredients you will need

Clams

Stout

Water

Beer

Equipment you will use

Pot

Place a steamer rack at the bottom of the pot. Carefully place the clams on the steamer rack (if you don't have a steamer rack, don't worry about it, just put the clams in the pot with the water).

Ingredients you will need

Clams

Water

Equipment you will use

Pot

The clam shells are on the thin side and can easily break, so be gentle as you put the steamers in the pot.

Ingredients you will need

Pasta Shells

Equipment you will use

Pot

You may notice some of the clams "spitting" water at you as you handle them. This is normal, don't worry about it. If any of the clams seem dead, are stinky, or whose siphons don't retract a bit when you touch them, toss them out.

Ingredients you will need

Clams

Water

Cover the pot. Bring the water to a boil.

Ingredients you will need

Water

Equipment you will use

Pot

Let the clams cook in the steam from the boiling water for about 5-10 minutes, until the steamer clam shells are wide open, then remove the pot from the heat. Any steamers that didn't open should be discarded. (The pot might foam up and boil over while cooking, so keep an eye on it while cooking.)

Ingredients you will need

Pasta Shells

Clams

Water

Equipment you will use

Pot

Let the clams cool for a couple minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Clams

Place steamer water in bowls for serving: Carefully remove the cooked clams from the pot, placing them in a serving bowl. Do not discard the clam broth left in the pot. Instead pour a bit of the hot broth into bowls for serving.

Ingredients you will need

Broth

Clams

Water

Equipment you will use

Bowl

Pot

Put the melted butter into small bowls for dipping.

Ingredients you will need

Butter

Equipment you will use

Bowl

Serve the steamers with a bowl for the clams, an empty bowl for the shells, a small bowl with broth for dipping, and a smaller bowl with butter for dipping.

Ingredients you will need

Butter

Pasta Shells

Broth

Clams

Equipment you will use

Bowl

Here's how to eat the steamers: To eat, open the shell and remove the cooked clam. Use your fingers to pull off the skin covering the siphon of the clam. Discard with the shells into the shell bowl.

Ingredients you will need

Pasta Shells

Equipment you will use

Bowl

Grip the siphon with your fingers, swirl the clam around in the hot broth (it will help to warm up the clams and to dislodge any remaining grit or sand). Dip the clam into melted butter and eat!

Ingredients you will need

Butter

Broth

Clams

Dip

Note, the siphon end of the clam may be a bit tough and rubbery. You can eat it or not. In any case, it makes a great handle for dipping.

Equipment

Bowl

Pot

Ingredients

Servings:

1kilograms

soft shell steamer clams 118milliliters

butter, melted 1serving

Chicken 1serving

Beef 1serving

Pork 1serving

Fish and Seafood 1serving

Pasta and Noodles

Recommended wine: Chardonnay, Muscadet, Riesling

Clams on the menu? Try pairing with Chardonnay, Muscadet, and Riesling. Buttery chardonnay is great for scallops, shrimp, crab, and lobster, while muscadet is a classic pick for mussels, oysters, and clams. If you've got some spice in your shellfish, a semi-dry riesling can balance out the heat. The Antica Chardonnay (Mountain Select) with a 4.5 out of 5 star rating seems like a good match. It costs about 29 dollars per bottle.