Steamed Clams With Garlic

My love of seafood began years ago when I was included to go for Ouzo and seafood mezedes at a seaside taverna, just outside of Thessaloniki with my uncle, his brother-in-law and my father.

I was in my teens and I was included in plans to hang with the big boys! What then seemed alien came to the table: octopus tentacles, rings of calamari, small fish with their heads on them and shellfish.

I was afraid that if I didn’t partake in eating these delicasies then I wouldn’t be invited to hang with the big boys again. So I ate and ate and ate. The rest is history.

Clams are a very easy dish to prepare – half the work is already done by nature and you the cook just has to source them and prepare/cook them simply.

These clams have salt, extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, parsley and lemon. I like adding some chili flakes too!

Steamed Clams With GarlicRecipe by Peter Minaki

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

Ingredients

• 1 kg. of fresh clams

• approx 1 tbsp. sea or kosher salt

• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 3 large cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

• 1 bay leaf

• 1/2 cup dry white wine

• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

• chili flakes to taste

Directions

• Inspect your clams: if any are open and tap them to see if they close. If not – discard. If you see any clams with broken shells – discard.
  Place the clams in a bowl and cover with cold water and salt. Mix the water gently so that the salt melts and allow the clams to steep in the water for 10 minutes (this is when the clams will spit out their grit). Empty into a colander, rinse under cold water and set aside.
• Place a large skillet over medium heat and add the garlic and bay leaf. Once you can smell the garlic, add the clams and stir to coat in the mixture.
• Add the wine, raise heat to medium high and cover. Shake the pan often and steam for 5-8 minutes or until they have opened.
• Add half the parsley, toss and transfer to a plate or platter. Discard any clams that have not opened. top with remaining parsley and sprinkle chili flakes on top and serve with crusty bread.

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