Its all about the Nectar! Steamed Clams

Well, who does not like steamed clams? They come in so many varieties (about 2000 species to be precise!) allocated among the two types: hard and soft shell: Quahog, Littlenecks, Cherrystone, Longnecks, Razor (one of my favorite), Manila, etc. There are, of course, many ways to prepare them such as steaming or grilling. Here's a great recipe that emphasizes the steaming media (nectar):

Ingredients:

3 dozen hard shell clams (Littlenecks are just fine!)

1.5 cups water

1 cup of a good dry sherry

one-third cup of a good extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 inch fresh ginger, left whole but peeled

1 handful clilantro, chopped

1 onion, diced

2-3 ribs celery, chopped

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

Scrub clams and rinse under cold water, discard any that do not close when the shell is tapped.

Fill a large pot with the all ingredients, except the clams, heat to a simmer for about 10 minutes to allow flavors to blend, then turn up to high and bring to a boil.

Place clams into a steaming rack and set into the pot.

Cover pot, turn heat down to low and steam for about 6-8 minutes or until clams open; discard any that do not open.

Put clams into a nice serving bowl and ladle the nectar into mugs for dipping and drinking; plenty of good crusty bread is great for sopping up those juices.

Serve with ice cold beer!