by amanda
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my 118 recipes »
2 tablespoons unsalted butter Ask a question about this ingredient
12 to 16 littleneck clams (or other small clam), scrubbed well Ask a question about this ingredient
1 scallion, trimmed and thinly sliced Ask a question about this ingredient
2 tablespoons heavy cream Ask a question about this ingredient
1/8 teaspoon hot smoked paprika Ask a question about this ingredient
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce Ask a question about this ingredient
1/4 teaspoon chopped thyme Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2 teaspoon chopped flatleaf parsley Ask a question about this ingredient
4 to 8 toast points Ask a question about this ingredient
1 lemon, cut into wedges Ask a question about this ingredient
Melt the butter in a sauté pan large enough to fit the clams in a single layer. Cover the pan and increase the heat to medium high. Cook just until the clams begin to open, 5 to10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the clams to a bowl. Discard any broken or unopened clams. Remove the clams from their shells and set aside.
Ask a question about this stepSet the pan over medium heat. Add the scallions to the pan and let wilt for 30 seconds while you add the paprika, Worcestershire sauce, and cream. Cook to desired consistency – I like my sauce loose. Toss in the thyme and parsley, and adjust seasoning as needed. Add the clams back to the pan, and heat through, spooning the sauce over them to help move things along.
Ask a question about this stepServe, spooned over toast points, with a wedge of lemon on the side.
Ask a question about this stepHadn't thought to try that variation -- great idea.
Oh gosh, Amanda, take heart. In Montana I've saved this for the next time clams show up at the Cotsco Seafood Show. For good or for ill, that's as close as we get to fresh clams here. I grew up on the East Coast, then live for many years on the West Coast, in both of which fresh clams were practically a staple. Your idea is a road home, and thank you.
We had this for dinner last night along with a couple of stone crab claws and a butter lettuce salad with avocado and pickled onions and radishes. It was the perfect dinner and the clams stole the show. Already thinking of when I can make this again.
So glad to hear this -- my blog post got so little traction I thought "Eh! Guess people don't like clams!"
Great recipe. Perfect for small meals and, with a little care, even bruschetta.
Adding a comment to my initial note, I made this recipe last night and found it exceptional, using regular paprika, instead of smoked, and maybe a touch more sauce than in the picture, capturing the essence of a pan roast. On top of everything else, it is fast and easy to prepare. You positioned it as a lunch thing, but it was great for dinner. (Even company) When I saw that it was for lunch, I thought, oh, I better not have this for dinner. Then, I found this quote by Marion Cunningham, liberating me to have it for dinner: " For supper, you may eat anything you want; you needn't be conventional. I liked a baked potato with olive oil and coarse salt and pepper followed by vanilla ice cream last night."
Eugenia is the author of the book Well-Preserved and writes about homemade food preservation for the Denver Post's Well-Preserved blog.
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Scrub your clams well because you don't want any grit in your pan sauce.
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Classic, simple pan roast ingredients: paprika, parsley, thyme, lemon, Worcestershire, cream, and ...
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... plenty of butter to swirl around the pan.
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Add the clams to the melted butter. You want to fit a single layer of clams.
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Then cover the pan tightly.
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Peek in everynow and then to see if the clams are beginning to open.
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Adjust the heat as needed.
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Remove the clams from the pan with a slotted spoon.
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To your clam juice and butter sauce, add the scallions.
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Cream, of course.
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Worcestershire sauce.
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Hot smoked paprika. Regular paprika or cayenne would have been traditional but I am SO crazy...
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More cream!
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Toast points and a lemon wedge bring it all together.
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Love this dish. I am trying it with razor clams next. Nice, simple, flavorful.