Steamers And Broth Recipes

STEAMERS

Steps:

• At least 1 hour before cooking clams, mix the kosher salt and cornmeal into 1 gallon of water and soak the clams. Do not use iodized salt as it will instantly kill the clams.
• In a steamer or large pot set over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the shallots and leeks and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, except bread, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the clams and mussels. Cover with a tight fitting lid and steam over low heat until clams and mussels have opened, about 5 to 10 minutes. Discard any clams or mussels that have not opened.
• Transfer to serving bowls and ladle with broth. Serve hot with crusty bread to soak up the broth.

STEAMERS IN BEER

Steps:

• Scrub clams well. Finely chop shallot. In a large saucepan cook shallot in 1/4 tablespoon butter over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add beer and clams and steam clams, covered, until opened, 4 to 5 minutes, transferring them as they open with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Discard any unopened clams and reserve cooking liquid. Keep clams warm.
• Pour reserved cooking liquid through a paper-towel-lined sieve into a small saucepan. Heat cooking liquid over moderate heat until hot and whisk in remaining 3‚ tablespoons butter. Remove pan from heat and stir in parsley and salt.
• Serve clams with dipping sauce.

STEAMERS IN RED CHILE PESTO BROTH

Steps:

• Heat grill to high.
• Place a large kettle on the grill, add wine and bring to a boil. Add the steamers, cover and steam until opened, discarding any that do not open. Remove steamers to a large bowl with a slotted spoon.
• Bring liquid back to a boil and reduce by half. Whisk in the red chile pesto and honey. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the cilantro. Pour the mixture over the steamers and serve immediately.
• Place chiles in a bowl and cover with boiling water; let sit until soft, at least 30 minutes.
• Remove the chiles from the liquid, reserving the liquid, and coarsely chop. Place the chiles in the bowl of a food processor along with 1/4 cup of the soaking liquid, honey, cilantro, garlic and pine nuts and process until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the oil until emulsified; season with salt and pepper.

STEAMERS AND BROTH

Steps:

• Begin by cleaning the steamers in a large pot filled with the vinegar and ice cold water to cover. Discard any clams that rise to the surface, they are not alive. Allow the steamers to soak for at least 30 minutes, then rinse in cold water and drain in a large colander.
• *Vinegar is the secret to de-sanding steamers during the cleaning process. Live steamers dislike an acidic enviroment, and will naturally purge themselves of any excess sand.
• Fill a tall, narrow pot with 2 inches of water and the celery and bring to a rapid boil. Carefully add the steamers to the pot, so that the shells do not break. Cover and cook over high heat for 8 minutes, or until the shells open; discard any that don't open. Meanwhile, melt the butter over low heat in a medium saucepan and divide among 6 small bowls.
• Transfer the cooked steamers to medium serving bowls, discard the celery, and ladle the steamer broth (the water left in the pot)into separate small bowls. Serve immediately with the melted butter and more bowls for discarding the shells.
• *To eat pull the steamer from its shell, dipping it in the warm steamer broth water to remove any remaining sand, then dipping it in melted butter, and finally eating it as you pull the skin off the neck of the clam.

STEAMERS WITH ASIAN BROTH AND CILANTRO BUTTER

Steps:

• Combine 2 cups water, clam juice, basil, lemongrass, lime juice, fish sauce, and salt in a stockpot; bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until well flavored, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine cilantro and butter in food processor; mix until cilantro is in tiny flecks. Set aside in a small saucepan.
• Pass liquid in stockpot through cheesecloth-lined strainer. Return to stockpot over medium-high heat. Add clams (use a bamboo steamer if desired); cover pan. Cook until clams open, 10 to 12 minutes; discard unopened ones. Melt the cilantro butter. Transfer the clams to a serving bowl, and strain the broth through a cheesecloth-lined strainer.
• Serve clams with lime wedges, broth for rinsing off sand, and butter for dipping.

STEAMED CLAMS WITH TOMATOES

Steps:

• In a large pot heat oil over medium-high. Add garlic, hot pepper flakes, and oregano and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add tomatoes, increase heat to high, and cook until tomatoes burst, about 4 minutes. Add clams and 3/4 cup water, cover, and cook until clams open, stirring once, 8 to 10 minutes. Discard any unopened clams. Drizzle with oil to serve.

STEAMER CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• 1. Fill two large pots (or two sinks) with cold water. Place the clams in one pot of water, discarding any dead ones or clams with cracked shells. Gently move them around in the water and let them soak for a few minutes, then lift them out and place them in the other pot of cold water. Rinse the first pot and fill it again. Move the clams around again, then transfer them back to the clean pot. Continue to switch the clams back and forth, letting them soak for a few minutes each time, and then lifting them out of the pot, until the water remains crystal clear. The process should take four or five soakings.
• 2. Put the 2 cups water in an 8-quart pot, cover, and bring to a rolling boil. Quickly but gently place the clams in the pot and cover again. After 4 minutes, remove the lid and quickly stir the clams with a wooden spoon, trying to lift some of the clams from the bottom to the top so they will cook evenly - but be gentle, the shells are very brittle and crack easily. Cover and continue to steam for another 4 to 5 minutes. (The broth will most likely overflow just as the clams have finished cooking.) All the clams should be open; if not, steam them a minute or two longer. Remove the clams and strain the broth; you should have 4 cups.
• 3. When the clams are cool, remove them from the shells and cut off the siphons, as well as the protective skin that covers each siphon, and discard. (You should have about 1 pound of clam meat.) Cover and refrigerate until later.
• 4. Heat a 4- to 6-quart heavy pot over low heat and add the diced salt pork. Once it has rendered a few tablespoons of fat, increase the heat to medium and cook until the pork is crisp and golden brown. With a slotted spoon, transfer the cracklings to a small ovenproof dish, leaving the fat in the pot, and reserve until later.
• 5. Add the butter, onion, celery, thyme, and bay leaves to the pot and sauté, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables are softened but not browned.
• 6. Add the potatoes and the reserved clam broth. The broth should just barely cover the potatoes; if it doesn't, add enough water to cover them. Turn up the heat and bring to a boil, cover, and cook the potatoes vigorously for about 10 minutes, or until they are soft on the outside but still firm in the center. If the broth hasn't thickened lightly, smash a few potatoes against the side of the pot and cook a minute or two longer to release the starch.
• 7. Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the clams and the cream and season to taste with black pepper and possibly a pinch of salt (the saltiness of steamers varies). If you are not serving the chowder within the hour, let it cool a bit, then refrigerate; cover the chowder after it has chilled completely. Otherwise, let it sit at room temperature for up to an hour, allowing the flavors to meld.
• 8. When ready to serve, reheat the chowder over low heat; don't let it boil. Try not to stir too often, because you don't want to break open the clam bellies. Warm the cracklings in a low oven (200°F) for a few minutes.
• 9. Ladle the chowder into cups or bowls, making sure that the steamers, onions, and potatoes are evenly divided. Scatter the cracklings over the individual servings and sprinkle with the chopped parsley and minced chives.