Steamers a summertime favorite

We love soft shell clams, hard shell clams, sea clams,

We love steamers, clam fritters, Lia's clam sauce, clam chowder, stuffed clams

also fried clams from Woodman's or The Lake House

 

 

today we are steaming up a bucketful of soft shell clams

with the promise of enough clams to have leftovers

 

 

first thing to do is put the clams in the sink

cover with water

swish around to wash off all the sand & mud

soak for 30 minutes

 

if you got your clams at the fish market rinsing won't be necessary

 

 

place all those beautiful babies into a large pot

add 1" of water or a can of beer

even better is a can of hard cider

today we have lemon hard cider - yummo

 

chop an onion into sixths place on clams

take some small cups that can handle the steam

add a couple tablespoons of butter

plop on top of the clams

keeping them straight up so the butter doesn't spill

 

Turn on high heat watch closely

clams will froth up quickly spilling into the butter

then all over the stove

turn down when the clams start steaming

 

clams are done when they open only 5-8 minutes

larger clams take longer

 

scoop clams into serving plate, pour hot clam juice into cups

for rinsing the clams before dipping in butter to eat

 

 

Steamers

3 lbs of clams will feed two as a meal
water or 1 can of beer or  1 can hard cider

Soak clams in cold water for 30 minutes.  Place clams in pan.  Cover bottom of pan with 1" of water or beer.  Add a couple of sliced onions.  Cover with a tight fitting lid.  Steam over low heat just until clams open, 5-8 minutes.

 

we freeze the leftover broth in 1 cup containers for making clam fritters, clam sauce, clam chowder,  & stuffed clams, mark containers if beer or cider is used since beer doesn't make a good clam sauce or chowder but makes a great fritter.

 

Lia’s Clam Sauce

1tbs olive oil
sauté 1 lg minced onion

add 1 stick butter
3 chopped garlic

add

1 bottle clam juice or 1 cup frozen clam juice
lots of oregano rubbed between hands to release flavor

1 can minced clams, if your lucky to have leftover small steamers toss some on top

or chopped fresh sea clams,

simmer

toss with

1pkg fettuccini, cooked

(Red pepper flakes) Lia doesn't add but I do