Steamed Clams are GrrrrrrEAT!
For me, Steamed Clams have turned into a fun and exciting dish to snack on. It really has that jaw dropping ooh and awe effect on people who really appreciate a whole plate of them when they hit the table. These are Little-Neck Clams and for me, they have a very impressive and distinct taste. Not to mention they are fun to cook. Steamed Clams are an excellent appetizer, even if the dinner guests don’t particularly care for shellfish or seafood. Can you guess why? Take a look at this picture below. It’s impressive, right? Of course right. So whether or not you get the credit you deserve for making such a scrumptious and tasty treat, at least you’ll get points for being eccentric. This particular recipe couldn’t be any easier either. All you need is 10 minutes and a few ingredients and you are off and running.
If you’re worried about the sand in Clam Shells and how to get rid of the Grittiness, there are several things you can do. First off, the Clams I used in this video were Farm raised. So if you are using these, you don’t really have to worry about the sand because they’re always cleaned out before they are shipped off. Secondly, if you haven’t watched the video yet you’ll see that these Little-Neck Clams are rinsed and washed off before they are Steamed. So consider that before you ponder your options. If they are wild clams, just give them a soak in cold water for approximately 20 minutes. I do the same thing with Crawfish only I cover them with salt so that they can purge. Both clams and Crawfish spit out the muddy sand they’ve ingested as part of their daily diet. You can also give them a real quick rinse after they’ve been steamed. This helps to cut down on the Grittiness, if there is any. And if you’re worried about it in the leftover Clam juice I turn into a Clam Salsa in this recipe, you can cheese cloth and strain the juice just before adding the other ingredients.
Steamed Clams Ingredients:
1 inch water in your pot
2 tbsp butter
1 Chopped Garlic Clove
2 Chopped Green Onion (scallions)
Black Pepper to taste and Paprika, Cayenne or Chili Flakes
Topped with a Sprinkle of some freshly chopped Parsley
