Mediterranean Style Steamed Clams How To Cook Clams

Watch the video below for how to cook clams. I grew up eating all kinds of seafood including clams, which I ate in all sizes–cold or hot. The brothy, steamy ones proved to be my favorite, especially with an added pop of spice. And that’s how I make them for my family today. My steamed clams recipe is simple, but loaded with Mediterranean flavors, thanks to a bright white wine broth with onions, garlic, bell peppers, and a couple of spices (including a bit of smoked paprika)! Let’s first cover a few questions you may have about preparing and cooking clams at home.

Which kind of clams to use?

There are quite a few varieties out there. Which kind to buy depends on how you plan to cook your clams. But keep in mind, the larger they are, the tougher and chewier they can get once cooked. Similar to our Linguine Alle Vongole (Linguine With Clams) recipe, I’m using littleneck clams. They’re also known as steamer clams or steamers, and are the smallest and sweetest of hardshell clams (about 7 to 10 clams per pound). And luckily, they’re quite available at a fairly affordable price in most grocery stores (if you don’t see them right away, stop by the fish counter and ask someone).

How do you cook fresh clams in the shell?

Littleneck clams in the shell are great for steaming, grilling, or even eating raw if you like. First you need to clean them very well (I show you how below), then you can simply steam them in a tasty broth or sauce of your choice. Some people like something more like a chowder with melted butter, but in this recipe, the steamers are cooked in a Mediterranean-style sauce with white wine, onions, garlic, bell peppers, tomatoes.

Should clams be soaked before cooking?

To me, cooking them is the easy part, but the most important thing to do first is to clean your clams very well because chewing on sand will definitely diminish the experience. So the answer is YES, you should soak them before cooking. Essentially, you will submerge them in cool slated water and let them soak to help them purge any sand. Then, once soaked, be sure to scrub them well using unsalted water or cool running water. There are a couple of different methods to clean your steamers well, so let me share more about that…

How to clean clams?

There are several ways to clean your steamers, I tried two of them with great success:

How long does it take to steam clams?

Steamer clams will cook quickly. Once you nestle them into the boiling liquid, it will take somewhere between 7 to 10 minutes for the shells to open up (cover the pot). Watch for the shells to open up, that is when your steamers are ready.

How to steam clams

Once cleaned, cooking fresh clams in the shell is simple. And you do not need a steamer, just a large Dutch oven or cooking pot with a lid:

Make a broth or cooking liquid. The liquid or broth in which the clams steam is your opportunity to add so much flavor. In my recipe, I go the Mediterranean route by creating a light white wine broth flavored with onions, garlic, bell peppers, tomatoes, fresh herbs and a trio of warm spices–cumin, smoked paprika, and chile pepper flakes (I used Aleppo-style pepper which is on the sweeter side but still provides a little kick).

Steam the clams. And DO NOT overcook them! Once the broth is ready, nestle the steamers in. Cover and let cook over medium heat until they open up (This will take anywhere from 7 to 10 minutes). Clams will let you know when they’re ready; their shells will simply open. Watch for that and do not overcook them or they’re turn too chewy and rubbery.

To serve…

Serve the cooked clams immediately in dinner bowls and ladle enough of the white wine broth on top. Make sure to have plenty of your favorite crusty bread to dunk in the broth (although my girls like to add little Lebanese rice in their clam soup). Or you can take a note from the Italian classic Mussels Marinara and serve with grilled bread. For eating utensils, I typically set out both a small seafood fork (or a small fork) and a spoon for the broth. If you’re serving this as dinner, it will feed 4 people. Need something more? Add starters like Melitzanosalata (Greek eggplant dip); Panzanella Salad; Zucchini Boats; or Caponata! Once you’ve mastered steamed clams, be sure to check out my Steamed Mussels recipe for more tender, tasty morsels of goodness! You can also take your stew game to a whole new level with Cioppino, which features clams, mussels and other seafood favorites.

How do you eat them?

I was talking to a friend about this recipe, and to my surprise, she had not once had steamer clams and wondered how to actually eat them. For steamed littleneck clams, when cooked properly, the shell should be nice and open (or at least more than halfway there), hold it with one hand and using a seafood fork (or a regular small fork if that’s all you have), pull it out. Remember, any clams that have not opened should not be eaten.