After making these simple, quick, and incredibly delicious clams, we were asking ourselves why we had never grilled clams before. We saw this recipe on Gourmet’s award-winning show on PBS, Diary of a Foodie. It’s as easy as placing the clams on a hot grill and then tossing them in 5-ingredient sauce. These clams are a perfect starter for a Summer BBQ. Make the sauce in a large foil pan right on the grill, alongside the clams and serve family style.
Smoked paprika, aka pimentón de la Vera, is a distinctive spice that you will recognize from many restaurant dishes. It imparts a warm, smoky, meaty flavor that mimics the chorizo you find in many clam and mussel recipes.
Grilled Clams
4 First Course Servings
Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 tblsp minced garlic
1 tsp smoked paprika
32 small hard-shelled clams (Manila or Littleneck), scrubbed and debearded
4 slices (or more) French baguette
1/4 cup coarsely chopped parsley
Coarse salt and pepper to taste
1. Light half of your grill on high, and the other half on low.
2. Put butter, wine, garlic and smoked paprika in a shallow foil pan large enough to hold the clams in 1 layer and sturdy enough to resist the heat of the fire (or you can do this in a large skillet on the stove). Place pan on the cooler side of the grill, and cook, stirring a few times, until the butter is melted and the mixture is fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Let the sauce come to a simmer.
3. Place clams flat on the hot side of the grill, directly on the grill grate, close the cover, and cook until they pop open, 3 to 7 minutes. Use tongs to transfer clams and their juices, to the pan as they are done. (Discard any that do not open).
4. While clams cook, arrange bread slices around the perimeter of the grill until lightly toasted.
5. When all the clams are in the pan, stir them around a bit in the sauce, and sprinkle generously with parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Serve family style, with the grilled bread to sop up the sauce.
