Right after my beloved lobstah.

Steamers hold a special place in our summer menu.

Special meaning we eat them almost every Friday night.

And the boys adore them!

It’s hysterical to watch them clean them and then watch the butter fly as the dip and then drip down their chins.

Nothing says summer to me more.

WHAT YOU NEED:

3 lbs New England steamer clams, cleaned and rinsed well.  Be sure to discard any open ones that don’t pop shut when you give them a tap.

2 T olive oil

2 shallots, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 cup white wine

2 cups water

1 stick butter melted

WHAT TO DO:

In a large pot heat olive oil over medium high heat.

Toss in shallots and cook until soft.  Add in garlic and cook for about a minute.

Stir in white wine and allow to reduce for 2-3 minutes.

Pour in clams and toss in the broth.  Pour in water and bring to a boil.  Cover and cook for 10 minutes.

Remove clams to a large bowl and reserve cooking liquid to dip (and clean) clams in.

Discard any clams that didn’t open.

Serve with garlic bread, salad, and drawn butter.

Recently we went up to my SIL’s house for a BBQ.  She asked me to make these steamers.

It was a good size BBQ.

But still, we went through 20 pounds of steamers.

20 pounds!!!!!

That’s a lot of clams!

But they sure were good!

Related posts:

• Seafood Week – Oven Baked Orange Roughy
• Seafood Week – Fish Tips
• New England Pot o’ Steamers
• Seafood Week – New England Lobstah
• Clam & Corn Chowdah Soup Week

It’s a cool cloudy day around here.

We’re expecting a boat load of rain this weekend.

This yummy soup will hit the spot!

Serves: 6  Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes

WHAT YOU NEED:

2 T butter

1 T Olive Oil

4 slices thick cut bacon, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 T fresh thyme

S&P

2 T flour

2 cups half-and-half  

2 cups chicken stock

1 bag diced potato (near the hash browns in the meat section)

2 cans whole clams and their juice

1 10 oz bag frozen corn

WHAT TO DO:

In a medium pot over medium high heat sauté bacon with 1 T olive oil.  When just crispy add in butter and onions, celery and thyme. Season with S&P and cook 5-7 minutes. Add flour and cook for two more minutes.

Add half-and-half and stock and bring to a bubble, then stir in potatoes and clams. Season again with S&P.  Bring soup back to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes, until potatoes are cooked and soup has thickened up nicely.  Stir in frozen corn and cook for an additional 5 minutes.  Serve with garlic bread and salad.

Related posts:

• French Onion Soup – Soup Week
• Corn glorious corn!
• Turkey Noodle Soup
• Totally Turkey Noodle Soup
• Holiday Gift Week – Soup in a Jar