Grilled Clams

I'm a bit short on words this time around. Probably one of the few times a year that I'm not incredibly long winded. 

At any rate, these grilled clams are absolutely delicious. I saw this recipe a few months ago in one of my food magazines and knew that I at least needed to try it. 

In absence of a fun little story wrapped around a great recipe, I figured I'd give you some tips on how to enjoy these little gems.

• Eat these for dinner after a lazy Sunday afternoon
• Grill up some really (and I mean really) good bread with garlic and butter to go along with the clammies
• Make sure you have a really nice, crisp white wine to sip along side the clam's.
• Eat these outside on your deck, or back patio and soak in the last bits of the day
• Make sure to use your grill for this entire meal...grilled clams, grilled bread, grilled vegetables. Perfect for the last hurrah of Summer.

Grilled Clams
Adapted from: Bon Appétit 

1 Stick Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
1 Tbs Flat Leaf Parsley, Chopped
1 Tbs Chives, Chopped
1 Tbs Scallion, Chopped
1 Tbs Lemon Juice
Kosher Salt & Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
24 Little Neck Clams
Lemon Wedges

Combine the butter, herbs, and lemon juice together until well blended. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Scrub the clam shells to remove any excess grit that might be clinging to them. Set your grill, either gas or charcoal to a medium-high heat. Place clams directly on the rack and close the grill cover to cook. Cook for 6-8 minutes, the clams should have all popped open at this point (discard any that haven't opened). 

Transfer the clams to a platter, being careful to keep as much juice in the shells as possible. Dot the clams with the herb butter, and let stand until the butter melts. Serve with lemon wedges to add a bright splash of flavor!

Read more...

Clammy-Clam-Clams

This dish was a fantastic end to an amazing weekend! The weather was beautiful, and Saturday was one of the hottest days that we’ve had lately. Josh had board exams Saturday morning, so I had the first half of the day to myself! I decided to do it up right, and spend some me time at the spa! It was amazing! We finished the day with a run by the river and wings at Taco Mac - hello awesome day!

I had dinner at my Aunt’s house a few weeks ago and she served traditional Linguini & Clams and I remembered how much I love this dish! It’s such a classic and the simplicity of the dish is so refreshing. 

I couldn’t find a recipe that I was completely happy with, so I decided to do a hybrid of several recipes that I found. I also opted for a whole wheat linguini because, well ya know - that whole health kick thing.

So without further adieu: 

Linguine & Clams

1 lb Whole Wheat Linguini

2 lbs Fresh Little Neck Clams, cleaned and scrubbed of excess dirt

2 Tbs Olive Oil + Extra for drizzling

6 cloves Garlic, crushed or minced

1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper

1.5 cups White Wine

2 Tbs Lemon Juice

Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley, chopped

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the linguini until just al dente, then drain the pasta well.

While the pasta is boiling, heat the olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven. Add the garlic and cook until almost browned, then add the crushed red pepper and cook for another minute. Add the wine and scrape up any browned bits, and bring to a simmer. Add the clams and cover while the wine mixture is simmering. Cook until the clams have opened, 5 - 9 minutes and discard any clams that don’t open.

Toss the linguini, the clams, and the cooking liquid together. Squeeze lemon juice over the pasta and toss  with flat leaf parsley for garnish; season with salt and pepper as needed.

If the pasta seems dry or sticky, toss with reserved pasta water and/or olive oil.

Read more...