This is one of my favorite dishes and I tend to make it on special occasions. I made it last night for our Valentine’s dinner and it was delish! There are many variations of this dish but I like to use littleneck clams, white wine, spicy Spanish chorizo, and lots of garlic. Oh and don’t forget some bread. You will want it to sop up all the brothy goodness at the end!
Littleneck Clams
Living on the Cape, I am very lucky to have a plethora of fresh seafood available year-round. Growing up on the ocean, seafood has been a part of my diet since I was a kid. My mom will say that the first solid food I had was a clam! I have many memories of heading down to the beach at low tide and digging up steamers (soft-shell clam) right out of the sand. Nothing tastes better than a sweet and tender fresh clam dunked in some warm melted butter!
Littleneck clams have a hard shell and tend to be on the smaller side. They can be eaten raw right out of the shell, but in this recipe, we will be steaming them in a garlic broth.
Chorizo
For this recipe, I used a Spanish chorizo. Compared to other sausage, Spanish chorizo is sold cured and smoked. It varies in spiciness and is made of pork that is highly seasoned with smoked paprika, which gives it its nice vibrant reddish-orange hue. You have probably seen or tasted it in soups and rice dishes.
Lets Get Started!
1. You will want to soak the littlenecks in cool water so that they can spit out any remaining sand they are holding onto. In your sink, fill a large mixing bowl with water. Place the littlenecks in a colander and submerge them into the bowl of water. All the sand will fall to the bottom of the bowl. After they have soaked, you will want to scrub the outside of the shells with a brush to get off any remaining grit.
2. In a deep skillet, drizzle a tbsp of olive oil and heat on a medium temp. If you choose to use chorizo sausage links, crumble the meat. If you use a chorizo patty, chop into bite-size pieces. Brown the chorizo in the pan for about 5 minutes.
3. Add in the minced shallots and garlic. Sauté until fragrant for about one minute. Add the 2 tbsp of butter (I used Earth Balance) and a pinch of red pepper flakes (use more if you want more heat).
4. Pour the dry white wine (I use whatever I’m drinking) into the pan and deglaze, scraping up and little brown bits left from the chorizo. Allow the wine to cook down for about 3 minutes. Pour in the broth (I used chicken broth because that’s what I had).
5. Allow for the broth to come back up to a light boil and nestle all the littlenecks into the liquid. Cover with a lid and allow them to simmer for 5-7 minutes, gently shaking the pan every few minutes to help the littlenecks open up. This is how you can tell they are properly cooked. *Any clams that do not open up should be discarded*
6. This next step is optional, but in my opinion, heightens the flavor. Sprinkle freshly chopped parsley and squeeze half of the juice of a lemon over the dish. I served the littlenecks over homemade pasta and ladled the broth over that. I also served it with a warm toasted ciabatta baguette.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!
Chorizo Steamed Littleneck Clams
Ingredients
- 24 littleneck clams fresh from the fish market
- 1 cup Spanish chorizo I use a cup because I like the meal to be hearty. You could cut this in half if you just want it to flavor the dish.
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1½ tbsp shallot minced you could also use a regular onion if that's what you have on hand.
- 6 cloves garlic minced I use the frozen minced garlic cubes as a shortcut
- 2 tbsp butter I used Earthly Balance
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes Use more if you want more heat
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 cup broth I used chicken broth but you could also use vegetable
- ½ lemons juice
- ¼ cup freshly chopped parsley
Instructions
- Soak the littlenecks in cool water so that they can spit out any remaining sand they are holding onto. Fill a large mixing bowl in your sink with cool water. Place the littlenecks in a colander and submerge them into the bowl of water. All the sand will fall to the bottom of the bowl. After they have soaked, scrub the outside of the shells with a brush to get off any remaining grit.
- In a deep skillet, drizzle a tbsp of olive oil and heat on medium temp. If you choose to use chorizo sausage links, crumble the meat. If you use a chorizo patty, chop it into bite-size pieces. Brown the chorizo in the pan for about 5 minutes.
- Add in the minced shallots and garlic, and sauté until fragrant for about one minute. Add 2 tbsp of butter and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Stir and allow butter to melt.
- Pour 1/2 cup of dry white wine into the pan and deglaze, scraping up any little brown bits from the chorizo. Allow the wine to cook down for about 3 minutes then pour in the cup of broth.
- Allow for the broth to come back up to a light boil and nestle in the littlenecks into the liquid. Cover with a lid and allow them to simmer for 5-7 minutes, gently shaking the pan every few minutes to help the littlenecks open up. *Any clams that do not open up should be discarded*
- Sprinkle freshly chopped parsley and squeeze half of the juice of a lemon over the clams. Enjoy as-is or serve over pasta or with oven-toasted bread.
Notes
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 2 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 298 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 23g | 30% |
| Saturated Fat 9.7g | 48% |
| Cholesterol 44mg | 15% |
| Sodium 570mg | 25% |
| Total Carbohydrate 6.5g | 2% |
| Dietary Fiber 0.2g | 1% |
| Total Sugars 0.9g | |
| Protein 6.8g | |
| Vitamin D 8mcg | 41% |
| Calcium 37mg | 3% |
| Iron 2mg | 11% |
| Potassium 287mg | 6% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
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Julie
Yum! That looks delicious❤❤❤