Name: Clams Steamed in Beer
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Ingredients: 2 cups mild lager; 3 shallots , minced; 4 garlic cloves , minced; 1 bay leaf; 4 pounds littleneck or cherrystone clams , scrubbed; 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Why This Recipe Works

Unlike mussels, clams can cook evenly on the stovetop. This is because per pound there are fewer clams than mussels, so even if you are cooking 4 pounds of them, there aren't that many in the pot to deal with. This allows for easy stirring and more even cooking. To flavor our clams, we made a broth by quickly infusing beer with shallots, garlic, and bay leaf. As the clams steamed in the flavorful liquid, they opened up and released their juices into the pot, enhancing the broth.

Before You Begin

A drizzle of olive oil and some parsley finished the dish. Discard any clams with an unpleasant odor or with a cracked shell or a shell that won't close.

Instructions

Bring lager, shallots, garlic, and bay leaf to simmer in Dutch oven over medium-high heat and cook for 3 minutes. Add clams, cover, and cook, stirring twice, until clams open, 4 to 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer clams to serving bowl, discarding any that refuse to open.

Off heat, whisk oil into cooking liquid until combined. Pour sauce over clams and sprinkle with parsley. Serve.