Summer calls for grilling, and grilling seafood is not the exception. So make these super simple beer-steamed clams and pair them with a refreshing drink!
To me, grilling is the highlight of the summer (especially nowadays that going out has become a health hazard ?), but don’t you get tired of cooking hamburgers and hotdogs all the time? I do! That being so, lately, I’ve been grilling a lot of seafood, and clams have become one of my favorite kinds of seafood to grill.
Clams are cooked in no time; they are perfect for grilling and served as a great appetizer before any feast.
How to pick them:
There are different types of clams, but my favorites are the Cherrystones. These succulent clams are slightly larger than littlenecks clams, and they are perfect for grilling and pasta dishes. For better quality, buy them fresh and prepare them as soon as possible. Do not forget to discard any clam that’s broken!
How to clean them:
Soak them in cold water (I put them in the fridge) for at least 30 minutes. Then, remove the clams one by one from the sandy water, rub and rinse again with fresh water until they have no more sand or other particles.
How to prepare them:
As I said before, I love them grilled, but making them on the stovetop is quite simple as well; follow the same method, and that’s it!
Beer-Steamed Clams
Beer-Steamed clams
Equipment
- grill or stovetop
Ingredients
- 3 dozen Cherrystones Clams Clean and scrubbed
- 1 cup pale lager beer such as Corona or Presidente
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 1 Lemon cut in wedges
Instructions
- Prepare the grill for cooking the clams over medium-high heat (no more than 400°)
- Scrub the clams and rinse as many times as needed to remove any sand particles.
- In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and add the garlic. Stir until fragrant.
- Place the cleaned and scrubbed clams in an aluminum pan or oven-proof skillet. Add the beer, melted butter with garlic, and place the lemon wedges in the pan.
- Cook the clams over direct heat, with the lid closed, until the clams open wide (about 10 minutes. Discard any unopened clams.
- Serve with crusty bread and lemon wedges.
Notice that I did not add any salt as the beer, butter, garlic, and lemon will add all the extra flavor that the clams will need.
Share your recipe with us and let us know your thoughts! and as always…
Happy Cooking!
Johanny
