Steamed Clams Recipe (2024)

My favorite approach is several cloves of garlic, minced; an ounce or two of chorizo, chopped; a ripe late summer tomato or two, chopped. Start with a splash of olive oil or a bit of butter in a large pot, toss in the chorizo and garlic, then the tomato, then a cup or two of white wine, and the clams. You could add a pinch of red pepper flakes. Simmer, and throw in a handful or so of chopped cilantro. The more wine, the more sourdough bread you'll need to consume all that delicious broth.

Well, Dad, this one's for you.Our "recipe" consisted of:2 cups of beera table spoon of buttera mess o' clamssteamserve with:wheat thinsjarlsberg cheesea bottle of brut champagneand a cribbage board!I miss you, Dad.

Made a variation of this recipe, steamed the clams in water with herbs (parsley, cilantro, and thyme) and then served with a drizzle of chorizo oil (diced chorizo simmered in olive oil 15-20 minutes then puréed in the blender). The clams were great with the smokiness and lovely red color from the chorizo oil.

Oh, no, I said, "steamed hams." That's what I call hamburgers. It's an Albany expression.

Not a big fan of beer? White wine works very well, too.

Mussels are not clams, but another type of mollusk. If you check the NYT recipes, you will see mussel recipes. The recipe used here would probably work with mussels, as well.

Unless beer cooks differently than water, 10-12 minutes is too much. 7 minutes for steamed clams.

My old boss had a stellar Portuguese "mopping" sauce for grilled clams that included ( this is my recollection from 20 years ago!):White WineLemonGarlicParsleyBrandy ( the secret weapon)Black & Red pepper flakesOlive oilThymeCelery finely mincedScallions or Chive thinly sliced. 1 tsp of brown sugarWill update this if I can get the real recipe!

Yes, every time I buy little necks from Costco, they're ridiculously salty, yet their mussels are great. Little necks from the fish market are fine, I have no idea why. So I've stopped buying them there.

They didn't give you enough info. Classic New England "steamers" are a soft clam that has a long neck for dipping in butter or broth, which they probably could have sold you as well. But you can also steam manila, little neck or even cherrystones as this recipe calls for, just don;t call them steamers.

Umm.. what about de-sanding the clams by placing in a bowl of salted water for a few hours in the fridge? Maybe that is necessary only if using the juice for a sauce for things like pasta, but I always do it. Also, littlenecks take maybe 4-5 minutes in a steamer, not sure about layered on top of each other. In any case, check on them after 5 to see if they are opened.

This recipe is incredible. Don’t be shy with the garlic. A great meal for close friends who love garlic and slurping and tender clams. We toasted the bread in a toaster, then rubbed with with garlic and drizzled with oil in order to avoid using the oven during a heat wave. And we served it with a lemon/Dijon vinaigrette salad with even more garlic and were in heaven.

Will this work with other clams?

I used 1 cup of beer and 1/2 slice of lower sodium bacon for 24 clams. I can't begin to tell you how salty this dish turned out. It was inedible.

I prefer steamers (softshell clams) over littlenecks or cherrystones: more flavorful (don't discard the bellies), even though you have to remove the rough skin from the foot (erroneously referred to as "neck." And the heavier shells of littlenecks run up their cost (weigh the meat separately). I have a secret location to dig fresh ones, so for me, cost isn't a factor when I'm in the area. Hint: it's in New England.

East Coast Steamers: ButterWhole Garlicl*ttle necksWater/Beer/seafood stock (whatever you have or all 3)Whole ParsleyCelery Stalk with LeavesFrank's Hot SauceWorcestershireOld Bay Seasoning/Black PepperFresh Lemon JuiceBread, broth, fork, spoonMethod: Heat butter, get garlic toasty, dump everything else in. Pull off heat the second the clams open.

Stargazer, that sounds like a lovely memory. I miss my dad too…and my mom.

Well, Dad, this one's for you.Our "recipe" consisted of:2 cups of beera table spoon of buttera mess o' clamssteamserve with:wheat thinsjarlsberg cheesea bottle of brut champagneand a cribbage board!I miss you, Dad.

I agree with SC68: 10-12 mins seems way too long. Clams get tough real quick.

We learned "How To Make Shellfish Happy on the Grill" from Jasper White by way of Florence Fabricant in NYT June 2007. We use technique and sauce over and over. Love it on a trout filet, drizzle it on rice filet sits atop too. Grill shellfish on rack/metal tray until they open, carefully transport to table, serve with sauce: Melt 3T butter till foamy, 3T minced garlic till fragrant, add 1/4c white wine and 1/4c heavy cream, reduce by half, stir in 5T butter, bit by bit, S&P, and chives.

Umm.. what about de-sanding the clams by placing in a bowl of salted water for a few hours in the fridge? Maybe that is necessary only if using the juice for a sauce for things like pasta, but I always do it. Also, littlenecks take maybe 4-5 minutes in a steamer, not sure about layered on top of each other. In any case, check on them after 5 to see if they are opened.

Anybody have a sure fire way to clean clams? Not just the scrubbing part, but how to purge the clam of sand. I’ve heard about putting them in salted water or water with cornmeal.

On a hot grill 3 or 4 minutes, dip in melted butter, done!

10 - 12 minutes is a lot for little or littleneck clams - cook till they open.

Love to make these when vacationing in Rhode Island but was just told at Anthony’s seafood market in Middletown not to buy Little Necks for steamers! So I left empty handed and could kick myself (or them).

Oh, no, I said, "steamed hams." That's what I call hamburgers. It's an Albany expression.