CookEat Recipe
Steamed Soft Clams
Whole soft-shell clams steamed in a covered saucepan on the hob and in the oven, served in their lower shells on a folded napkin with lemon, parsley, strained cooking liquor and melted butter separately.
Method
Steps
Step 1
Start with thirty-six fresh, live, commercially purged soft-shell clams (Mya arenaria). Check for a response of the neck or shell and reject unresponsive or unsuitable animals and broken shells. Briefly plunge the clams in cold potable water, brush thoroughly and wash them several times. Drain promptly.
Step 2
Heat a conventional oven to 200°C. Put the drained clams in a hob-and-oven-safe saucepan with one gill of potable water. Use a pan with room for the clams to open and a matching oven-safe lid. Cover and heat on the hob for about five minutes, until steam develops.
Step 3
Transfer the still-covered pan to the oven and cook for about twenty-five minutes, checking early. Stop when the retained clam bodies are cooked through and each reaches at least 74°C in the centre, checked separately with a clean food thermometer. Discard any clam that remains tightly closed rather than forcing it open. Handle the pan and lid carefully when checking the hot contents.
Step 4
Lift the upper shell of each cooked clam to expose the meat in its lower shell. Arrange the clams on a large serving dish lined with a clean folded napkin suitable for food contact. Decorate with six lemon quarters and a little parsley greens.
Step 5
Strain the actual cooking liquor from the pan through clean food-safe cheesecloth into a small tureen. Keep it separate from the clams for serving.
Step 6
Gently melt a little butter in a clean pan over low heat and put it in a separate serving bowl. Send the clams, strained liquor and melted butter to the table together and serve promptly.
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