Joe Carroll of Brooklyn's St. Anselm and Fette Sau knows his way around the grill. Rather than throwing a slab of meat on the fire, he grills up some clams before tossing them in a butter-garlic sauce, then serves them with chopped parsley and crusty bread.
To learn more, read "Hey, Grill."
Grilled Clams with Garlic Butter
Recipe adapted from "Feeding the Fire: Recipes & Strategies for Better Barbecue & Grilling," by Joe Carroll and Nick Fauchald
Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
For the Garlic Butter:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
For the Clams:
2 pounds (about 2 dozen) littleneck clams, scrubbed
3 tablespoons melted garlic butter
¼ cup chopped parsley
Freshly ground black pepper
Lemon wedges, for serving
Crusty bread, for serving
Directions
1. Make the garlic butter: In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the garlic and cook for 5 minutes until fragrant but not browned. Remove from the heat.
2. Skim the foam from the top of the butter and slowly pour the butter through a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl. Discard the milky solids and garlic. Keep the skimmed butter warm over low heat. Make ahead: The butter can be made and refrigerated for up to 3 weeks.
3. Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for medium-hot cooking.
4. Place the clams directly onto the grill grates. After 5 to 7 minutes, the clams will begin to open. Using tongs, transfer the clams to a bowl, being careful not to spill any of their juices. Discard any clams that don't open after 10 minutes.
5. Toss the clams with the warm garlic butter, sprinkle with the parsley and season with pepper. Serve with lemon wedges and crusty bread.
