Start your Christmas meal with a chic breeze from the sea by serving these clams, generously spread with bubbly and garlicky butter, richly flavoured with parsley and shallots. I have to warn you though that chic will quickly give way to decadent pleasure with everybody licking their plump shells or saucing every inch of them with thick slices of bread. The true spirit of Christmas, as I like it.
Clams en persillade
|
Recipe by: my mum and dad, who in season forage clams, mussels, and oysters regularly and eat luxuriously from the sea every day. Busy:20 min, Total prep time: 25 min Serves: 8 |
Mix the butter with the garlic, shallots, parsley and a good sprinkling of pepper. Form a ball, cover with cling film and store in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavours to mix.
Wash the clams thoroughly and allow to sit in cold water for 10 minutes. Rinse them and chuck away any that don’t close if you tap them. Place them in an empty saucepan with a sprinkle of coarse sea salt and cracked pepper. Steam, covered, on medium heat for about 5 minutes or until all the clams are open. Discard the clams that did not open.
Remove and discard the top shell of each clam and allow to cool down. Spread generously some butter over each (count a nice pea size for small clams and a bit more for larger ones). Store in the fridge if not using immediately. Don’t leave the cooked clams more than a couple of hours in the fridge otherwise they will become tough and chewy.
10 min before serving:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Place the clams on the oven tray and cook until the butter starts bubbling, for about 5 minutes.
Take out immediately (if you leave them to long they will dry out) and serve right away with thick slices of rustic bread on the side.
A couple hours before the meal (At least 1 hour before):
Mix the butter with the garlic, shallots, parsley and a good sprinkling of pepper. Form a ball, cover with cling film and store in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavours to mix.
Wash the clams thoroughly and allow to sit in cold water for 10 minutes. Rinse them and chuck away any that don’t close if you tap them. Place them in an empty saucepan with a sprinkle of coarse sea salt and cracked pepper. Steam, covered, on medium heat for about 5 minutes or until all the clams are open. Discard the clams that did not open.
Remove and discard the top shell of each clam and allow to cool down. Spread generously some butter over each (count a nice pea size for small clams and a bit more for larger ones). Store in the fridge if not using immediately. Don’t leave the cooked clams more than a couple of hours in the fridge otherwise they will become tough and chewy.
10 min before serving:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Place the clams on the oven tray and cook until the butter starts bubbling, for about 5 minutes.
Take out immediately (if you leave them to long they will dry out) and serve right away with thick slices of rustic bread on the side.
To reduce the price of this starter, use a mix of clams and mussels, which are as good with the persillade.
If you have too much butter, freeze it. This butter is famously used in France with snails, but you can also use it in pasta or grilled on bread to make deliciously flavoured croutons.
If you have too much butter, freeze it. This butter is famously used in France with snails, but you can also use it in pasta or grilled on bread to make deliciously flavoured croutons.
Ingredients
1.3 kilos clams or a mix of clams and mussels.
6 garlic cloves, crushed
3 small shallots, finely chopped
3 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
120 g salted butter at room temperature
1.3 kilos clams or a mix of clams and mussels.
6 garlic cloves, crushed
3 small shallots, finely chopped
3 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
120 g salted butter at room temperature
Copyright © 2009 Tasty Diaries. All rights reserved.
