Steamed Clams with Tarragon
This recipe and photos were provided by Sally Roeckell of Table and Dish and were originally published at 365Barrington.com as a part of the Heinen’s 4 P.M. Panic Series.
This week’s 4PM Panic recipe just may be the easiest one you’ll find. I wanted to make something that would remind me of my days at the shore. A dish that could evoke simple summer afternoons filled with care-free timelessness, the feeling of sunshine on your skin and the briny scent of the sea air. So today I’m making steamed clams with tarragon.
There are many flavor combinations you can use when steaming clams. I’m a simple girl so usually, I always include garlic (my first love) butter and white wine. I make them frequently so I change up the seasonings from time to time. I’ve been playing around with different flavors. Sometimes I like to add fresh ginger, sliced fennel, fresh tomatoes, cumin, garlic and coconut milk. Fresh parsley or cilantro added just before serving always give it a nice clean, bright flavor. I encourage you to experiment with different flavor combinations. If you come up with your own good combinations send us a comment. Tell us your favorites so we can give it a try.
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
- about 8 chopped cherry tomatoes or one diced fresh Roma tomato
- 2 ½ pounds littleneck clams (about 30 clams), scrubbed
- ¼ cup minced chives
- Grated zest of 1 lime
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley
Preparation:
- In a medium pot or large straight-sided skillet with a lid, warm oil over medium heat.
- Add garlic and tarragon. Cook until garlic is slightly softened, about 2 minutes.
- Add tomatoes and white wine.
- Stir in clams and cover pot.
- Cook until clams open, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Use a slotted spoon or tongs to remove clams from pot, place into serving dish. (Discard any clams that don’t open.)
- Stir chives, lime zest and red pepper flakes into the pan sauce and let cook for 20 seconds.
- Stir in butter and lime juice, whisking until butter melts and sauce thickens slightly.
- Spoon pan juices over clams. Garnish with parsley. Serve immediately.
Don’t be intimidated by clams. At Heinen’s they come in a bag of 50 or by the pound. You simply rinse them off and toss them in the pan. When they open they are done. Easy Easy Easy.
Serve your clams with crusty bread for dipping. Heinen’s has a great sourdough loaf or multigrain baguettes that will do the job nicely. Grill slices or serve it cold, either way, it will take fantastic dipped in this broth.
Steamed Clams with Tarragon
