Now that grilling season is in full swing, I am grilling anything and everything I can, and yes, that includes Grilled Clams in Lemon Butter Sauce!
This recipe for grilled clams is SO easy, and can be made completely on your grill (just make sure you have a cast iron or other grill-safe pot for the sauce, if not, you can make it on your stovetop).
It’s an awesome appetizer to share with friends, just don’t forget the crusty bready for dipping!
Ingredients:
- 3 dozen clams
- 2 sticks salted butter (1 cup)
- the juice and zest of 1 lemon
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
- 1 scallion
- 1 sprig fresh oregano
- 2 sprigs fresh parsley
- 1 sprig fresh basil
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- ground pepper, to taste
Before cooking, add the clams to a large bowl filled with cold water. Let sit for at least 20 minutes; the clams will filter out the sand and dirt.
Remove the clams from the water one by one and add to a colander. Note: do not pour the bowl into the colander, all of the sand and dirt will repour over the clams! Discard any clams that are open or cracked.
Preheat your oven to medium-high.
Add the butter, lemon zest, lemon juice and garlic to a small cast iron pot. Add the pot to the grill.
Take your fresh herbs (scallion, oregano, parsley, basil) and add to the grill over direct heat.
Grill until they begin to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat. When cool enough to handle, roughly chop the herbs.
Add to the cast iron pot. At this point, the butter should be mostly melted. Add in the white wine, stirring to combine.
Add your clams over direct heat. Close the grill and let the sauce and clams cook for about 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes, check your clams. You’ll notice that the ones that have opened have some liquid in them. Remove those that have opened (trying to keep some of that liquid still in the shell as you remove it) and add to a large bowl. Give the remaining clams a minute or two more. Remove those that open, and discard those that remain closed.
Carefully remove the cast iron pot from the grill and pour over the clams, tossing to combine.
Sprinkle with black pepper and serve with crusty bread for dipping.
So simple, yet so tasty!
The sauce is nice and salty from the butter and juice from the clams, balanced with the grilled herbs. The clams have a touch of smokiness to them, but definitely not overpowering. We devoured the clams and went to town on the leftover sauce with the bread, yum!
What’s great about this dish is you can make it your own. Add whatever herbs you like. If you’re a huge fan of salt, add in some capers to the sauce. Want more acid? Add another lemon to the sauce, or squeeze from fresh lemon juice on top at the end.
Ingredients
- 3 dozen clams
- 2 sticks salted butter (1 cup)
- the juice and zest of 1 lemon
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
- 1 scallion
- 1 sprig fresh oregano
- 2 sprigs fresh parsley
- 1 sprig fresh basil
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Before cooking, add the clams to a large bowl filled with cold water. Let sit for at least 20 minutes; the clams will filter out the sand and dirt.
- Remove the clams from the water one by one and add to a colander. Note: do not pour the bowl into the colander, all of the sand and dirt will repour over the clams! Discard any clams that are open or cracked.
- Preheat your oven to medium-high.
- Add the butter, lemon zest, lemon juice and garlic to a small cast iron pot. Add the pot to the grill.
- Take your fresh herbs (scallion, oregano, parsley, basil) and add to the grill over direct heat.
- Grill until they begin to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat. When cool enough to handle, roughly chop the herbs.
- Add to the cast iron pot. At this point, the butter should be mostly melted. Add in the white wine, stirring to combine.
- Add your clams over direct heat. Close the grill and let the sauce and clams cook for about 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, check your clams. You’ll notice that the ones that have opened have some liquid in them. Remove those that have opened (trying to keep some of that liquid still in the shell as you remove it) and add to a large bowl. Give the remaining clams a minute or two more. Remove those that open, and discard those that remain closed.
- Carefully remove the cast iron pot from the grill and pour over the clams, tossing to combine.
- Sprinkle with black pepper and serve with crusty bread for dipping.
OMG! This looks really delicious and not to mention really healthy too. Would love to try this recipe. Hopefully, I can find fresh clams available in the market.