Steamed Clams
- Total Time
- 10 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:8 to 10 servings
- 100littleneck clams
- 1tablespoon unsalted butter
- ¼cup diced chorizo or bacon, optional
- 2cups beer, approximately 1 can or bottle
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)
167 calories; 4 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 1 gram monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 7 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 22 grams protein; 892 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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- Step 1
Carefully scrub the clams under cold running water to remove sand and grit, then set aside.
- Step 2
Melt the butter in a large pot set over medium heat, and when it foams, add the chorizo or bacon, and allow it to crisp, stirring occasionally, approximately 5 minutes.
- Step 3
Add the beer to the pot (use just 1 cup if cooking 50 or fewer clams), and allow to heat through, then carefully add the clams in layers. Cover the pot, and allow the clams to steam and open, approximately 10 to 12 minutes. Serve in the pot, or use tongs or a slotted spoon to remove clams to a platter, and serve alongside a bowl of the remaining clam broth and melted butter.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Andree Abramoff
We simply love clams in all and any form. This is a favorite recipe of my grandchildren (and their parents and grandparents)!
Mediterranean-style Clams
3-4 dz. littlenecks
½ cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, sliced
¼ cup white wine
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1 lemon sliced
1 Tbs. chopped cilantro
Salt & pepper
Toast garlic slices lightly in olive oil. Pour wine, lemon juice and bring to a boil. Add clams, S&P, cover and cook until clams open up.
Garnish with lemon slices and chopped cilantro.
Edith
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.
stargazer, pacific northwest
Well, Dad, this one's for you. Our "recipe" consisted of: 2 cups of beer a table spoon of butter a mess o' clams steam serve with: wheat thins jarlsberg cheese a bottle of brut champagne and a cribbage board! I miss you, Dad.
Catherine DiNardo
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.
Dan
Oh, no, I said, "steamed hams." That's what I call hamburgers. It's an Albany expression.
Lee snell
Not a big fan of beer? White wine works very well, too.
Francesco-in-Umbria
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.
SC68
Unless beer cooks differently than water, 10-12 minutes is too much. 7 minutes for steamed clams.
Kiersten
My old boss had a stellar Portuguese "mopping" sauce for grilled clams that included ( this is my recollection from 20 years ago!): White Wine Lemon Garlic Parsley Brandy ( the secret weapon) Black & Red pepper flakes Olive oil Thyme Celery finely minced Scallions or Chive thinly sliced. 1 tsp of brown sugar Will update this if I can get the real recipe!
Eileen
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.
Kate M
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.
Ed Lehrman
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.
Mel
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.
Sandra
Will this work with other clams?
Lynn from NJ
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.
Jim Wakefield
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.
Jim Stanberry
East Coast Steamers: Butter Whole Garlic Little necks Water/Beer/seafood stock (whatever you have or all 3) Whole Parsley Celery Stalk with Leaves Frank's Hot Sauce Worcestershire Old Bay Seasoning/Black Pepper Fresh Lemon Juice Bread, broth, fork, spoon Method: Heat butter, get garlic toasty, dump everything else in. Pull off heat the second the clams open.
Kelly
Stargazer, that sounds like a lovely memory. I miss my dad too…and my mom.
stargazer, pacific northwest
Well, Dad, this one's for you. Our "recipe" consisted of: 2 cups of beer a table spoon of butter a mess o' clams steam serve with: wheat thins jarlsberg cheese a bottle of brut champagne and a cribbage board! I miss you, Dad.
Karl P
I agree with SC68: 10-12 mins seems way too long. Clams get tough real quick.
Jutta
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.
Ed Lehrman
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.
Jackie
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.
Kim
On a hot grill 3 or 4 minutes, dip in melted butter, done!
Kate M
10 - 12 minutes is a lot for little or littleneck clams - cook till they open.
Karen
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).
Kate M
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.
Dan
Oh, no, I said, "steamed hams." That's what I call hamburgers. It's an Albany expression.
TH
Came here for this comment. Thank you.
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