A P O T O F W I N E + B U T T E R
seafood, especially shellfish, can feel intimidating.
however, clams are absolutely no fuss to make.
at its heart - we’re talking about clams in a pot of wine and butter.
super simple, damn delicious.
CLAMS, FENNEL, +
WHITE WINE
SERRANO BUTTER
serves 2
3 lbs littleneck clams scrubbed and purged
glug of olive oil
1 fennel bulb trimmed and sliced into ribs (reserve fronds for garnish)
1 shallot sliced
4-6 cloves of garlic crushed and sliced
2 cans of Nomadica white (or a cup of whatever white wine)
2/3 cup water
2 serrano peppers sliced thinly
4 tbsp butter (chill, it’s just butter)
handful of finely chopped parsley
sliced toasted baguette
first thing’s first.
gotta clean those clams - give the shells a little scrub to clean them of any grit or or other sea bits. discard any that are cracked or open.
submerge clams in a bowl of cool water for about 20 minutes. they’ll spit out any sand or whatever else they may be smuggling in their shells.
in a heavy bottom pot or dutch oven heat a glug of olive oil over medium heat.
sear the fennel until it becomes slightly translucent and picks up a little color.
add the sliced shallot and garlic making sure that the garlic doesn’t burn, but becomes aromatic.
add one of the sliced Serranos.
crack both cans of Nomadica white wine and add 1.5 to the pot.
chug the remaining half can, feel good about yourself.
add the water and bring the mixture to a simmer for about 5 minutes.
add the butter and allow to melt.
add the clams to the pot and cover for about 8-10 minutes or until the clams have all fully opened.
serve in a large bowl with loads of broth.
garnish with the remaining sliced serrano pepper, fennel fronds, and chopped parsley.
slather a long slice of baguette in olive oil and grill either directly under the broiler in the oven or right on the gas burner of your stove.