Okay, so I’ve been wanting to get into cooking clams for a while now. I finally decided to give it a go, and I focused on little neck clams because, well, they’re small and seemed less intimidating. This is how my little clam adventure went down.
Getting Started
First, I went to the local fish market. I asked the guy for the freshest little necks he had. I ended up with about two pounds, which seemed like a good amount for a first try. I remembered someone told me, the clams should smell like the sea, not super fishy.
Cleaning those Suckers
Back home, I dumped the clams into a big bowl of cold water. I added some salt – I figured it’s kinda like mimicking their natural habitat, right? I let them sit for about 20 minutes. I read somewhere this helps them spit out any sand or grit.
Then, I scrubbed each clam with a stiff brush under cold running water. This part was a little tedious, gotta admit, but I wanted to make sure they were squeaky clean.
The Cooking Part
I decided to go with a simple recipe – garlic, white wine, butter. Classic, right?
- I melted a good chunk of butter in a big pot.
- Then, I tossed in a bunch of chopped garlic and let it sizzle for a bit until it smelled amazing.
- I poured in about a cup of dry white wine, something I had open already.
- I added a pinch of red pepper flakes for a little kick.
Next, I added the cleaned clams to the pot, covered it, and let them steam. I kept an eye on them, and after about 5-7 minutes, most of them had popped open. That’s how you know they’re done, I learned.
Serving it Up
I discarded any clams that didn’t open – those are the duds, apparently. I ladled the clams and that delicious broth into bowls. I sprinkled some chopped fresh parsley on top and served it with some crusty bread for dipping. Gotta soak up all that goodness!
The Verdict
Honestly, it was way easier than I thought! The clams were sweet and tender, and the broth was so flavorful. I totally get why people love these things. I’ll definitely be making this again, maybe next time I’ll try adding some tomatoes or chorizo. My little clam experiment was a success!
