Summertime is all about seafood: steamed clams, clambake, seafood boil, lobster rolls, crawfish boil, summer seafood stew, etc.

What clams are best for steaming?

For the best steamed clams, use the following types of clams:

• Steamers. Also known as soft-shell clams (the shells aren’t actually soft), these clams have a longer siphon that sticks outside of its shell.
• Littlenecks. These are small, hard-shell Atlantic clams. Littlenecks are popular because they are very sweet and tender.
• Cherrystones. Medium-sized quahogs.
• Manila. These hard shell clams are similar to Cherrystones, but the meat is sweeter and the clams originate from Japan.

For this recipe, I use Manila clams, but you can use any of the clams mentioned above, including soft shell clams.

How To Pick Fresh Clams

It’s important to use fresh, live clams for the best steamed clam recipe.

To make sure the clams are alive, give them a sniff (it should have a fresh, clean sea scent). Also, the shells should be tightly closed.

If the shell is slightly open, give it a quick tap – the shell should quickly close. If it doesn’t close, discard the clam.

How to Store Fresh Clams

It’s best to steam clams as soon as possible after bringing them home from the market. If you won’t be cooking them immediately, follow these instructions to store them properly:

Remove them from the bag/packaging.
Put the clams into a large, uncovered bowl.
Store the fresh clams in the refrigerator for up to two days.

How to Clean Clams Before Steaming

To remove any sand in soft-shell clams, soak them in cold, salted for a few hours before steaming.

Hard-shell clams can be prepared by scrubbing them with a stiff brush under cold running water.

Steamed Clams Recipe

Learning how to steam clams is quick and easy. Just follow these tips:

• When you steam clams on the stove, be sure to use a deep skillet with a lid.
• Properly clean the clams before making steamed clams.

How Many Calories Per Serving?

These steamed clams are 106 calories per serving.

What to Serve with this Recipe

This meal is best served with crusty bread such as Texas Toast or garlic bread. For a healthy meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes:

Easy Spaghetti

Cheesy Garlic Texas Toast

Shrimp Kebab

Sparkling Watermelon Lemonade

Yield: 4 people

Steamed Clams in Beer

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Beer Steamed Clams - the best steamed clams recipe ever with beer, garlic, parsley and lemon. Juicy, fat and succulent clams cooked in under 10 mins.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. (1 kg) Manila clams or little neck clams
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 7 fl. oz. (200 ml) beer
• ground black pepper
• 3 slices lemon
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Instructions

1. Clean and scrub the clams with cold water. Drain and set aside.
   
2. Set up a skillet with the butter, add the garlic and saute until aromatic or light brown in color. Add the clams, stir a few times before adding the beer. Add the pepper, lemon and chopped parsley. Stir to combine well.
   
3. Cover the lid of the skillet and steam on high heat for 2-3 minutes, or until all the clams open up. Serve immediately.

Notes

As clams are naturally briny, you don't need salt. If your beer broth is not salty enough, add a pinch of salt.

Nutrition Information

Serving Size

4 people
Amount Per Serving Calories 106Total Fat 6gSaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 25mgSodium 208mgCarbohydrates 4gFiber 1gSugar 1gProtein 5g