Freshness, simplicity and great flavors that work together in this dish. These garlic and butter clams are a great starter for a fine dinner without leaving the house.
This buttery sauce works perfectly with any type of seafood. The garlic gives the punch of flavor without being overwhelming thanks to the white wine that balances all the flavors and combine them into this heavenly sauce.
How to cook clams?
I know that working with seafood can be intimidating. The clams meat is delicate and it can be spoiled easily. But my best advice is to relax and just understand that seafood meat can’t be treated like chicken or beef.
The cooking time is a lot shorter. You maybe think that 5 minutes steaming is a short time to cook well the clams. But the reality is that 5 minutes is more than enough. If you cook the clams for longer, you will end up with chicle-like clams that have 0% freshness.
Another thing besides the time of cooking is the kind of sauces you choice. The main mistake that newbies make cooking seafood is choosing heavy sauces. The thing is that the sauce will overlap the flavor of the seafood, hence you won’t be tasting anything that resembles a clam (or any type of seafood that you cook)
Now you know, shorter cooking time + light sauces: perfect seafood!
And an extra tip: White wine is your best friend. As the famous Julia Child said: “I enjoy cooking with wine. Sometimes, I even put it in the food”.
Seafood and white wine are BFF. They work simply well, and a splash of dry white wine brings to the surface all the flavors and maintain the integrity of the seafood meat. Works like a charm every time!
Try to use a dry white wine to prevent a weird acidity touch in the sauce. If you want to know more about wines for cooking, you can read this article.
This is a winner dish that is extremely sublime. Serve it with some garlic bread — A lovely garlic breath for a romantic dinner— and a glass of cold white wine.
Other Clams Recipes
Garlic and Butter Clams
Ingredients
- 400 gr clams with shell
- 5 garlic cloves thinly chopped
- 4 tbsp salted butter
- ½ cup white wine
- Salt
- White pepper
- Fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- In a big pan, melt the butter and cook the garlic over medium heat.
- Then add the clams and let them cook for a minute.
- Pour the wine (drink the rest). Add a pinch of salt and white pepper. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil. Cook for 5 minutes over low heat until the clams open.
- Serve with bread and enjoy!
I’m Maria and I love cooking—and mostly EATING—food from all around the world. I’ve been sharing my abuela’s secret Latin-American recipes for the last 7 years with the world on this blog. I’ve been a full-time food blogger for many years and I’m always trying new delicious meals that don’t require a culinary degree or a Michelin-star chef. I also love traveling, cats, and knitting.