Skin Care

Serve a savory and wonderful dish of steamed clams when you follow this exquisite recipe. Just remember, sometimes the most delicious dishes take a little effort to prepare. Quick prep is not always the way to go. These Portuguese-style steamed clams are one of the many dishes you will want to really be sure that you set aside enough time to prepare. Get yourself ready. Choose a nice wine, and decide on a salad and tasty side dish. Maybe you could prepare a desert the night before, just to save time. Be sure you have a fresh loaf of delicious bread, as well as some lemon, and use shallow dishes of melted, salted butter for dipping your clams.

Use fresh clams for this recipe, you will need five pounds of clams still in the shell; be sure to scrub them well. The night before you make this dish, soak the clams in salted water, a splash of vinegar, cornmeal, and a combination of fresh black pepper and cayenne pepper. If you do not soak them overnight, be sure to soak your clams at least for a couple of hours before you begin. You will also need one and a half pounds of chorizo in thick slices, a 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes, a quarter cup of olive oil, fresh lemon, a large onion – sliced thin, a half a cup of ground sausage, and two cups of white wine.

You will need 30-40 minutes to prepare your dish, and it will cook for 20 minutes, approximately. This is because sometimes cook time will vary depending on where you live – especially if you reside considerably above sea-level. The first time I prepared one of my favorite dishes in a mountain cabin instead of in the valley, although it was a recipe I had made over a dozen times before – it didn’t turn out exactly the same and I was very disappointed. So please consider elevation as a factor in your cook time – if that particular concern applies.

Alright, so you have your ingredients and plenty of time; your clams have soaked for at least a couple of hours and you are ready to get cooking. Here is how you do it: Wash your clams in cold water. Next, discard any clams that are already partially opened. Prepare the clams in a stock pot with a lid that fits tight. Then add the sausage, thin onion slices, diced tomatoes, and the white wine. Next, cover the stock pot and turn the heat up to the high setting. Steam the clams over high heat until all of the clams open up. Shake the pot periodically to be sure that the clams are heated and steamed evenly. Finally, drizzle your quarter cup of olive oil gradually over the cooked clams and divide the ingredients evenly into shallow soup plates. Separate the broth into individual side cups for dipping; you will also want to have melted butter on-hand, as I mentioned before. Slice your lemons and serve with the entrée as garnish or for extra flavor, to taste.

I usually keep my bread in a warmer or bake it fresh right before I serve this dish. I like to serve a salad of fresh mixed greens to start as the clams finish steaming, so that they can be served piping hot. Asparagus with fresh parmesan makes a delicious side-dish for this recipe. Serve with a white wine of your choice, or water with wedges of lemon as a non-alcoholic alternative. Fruit and fine cheeses such as a nice, fancy brie may serve as a tempting desert. Or perhaps you could serve a baked cheesecake or an angel food cake with a nice fruit topping to end the meal. And don’t forget to offer coffee!

This recipe may just make your reputation as a cook rise higher than you ever expected before, so don’t skimp on the details. Presentation is also key. Things such as lighting, tablecloths, dishes, napkins, your centerpiece, and even candles are all very important to consider when you prepare a meal – especially one as savory as this steamed clams dish.

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for Web sites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and home decor. Her background also includes teaching, gardening, and fashion. For more of her useful articles on seafood recipes, please visit Seafood, supplier of fresh seafood and seafood recipes.

NBB Real Life #39