Steamed Mussels and Clams

Welcome Friends! I am guessing by now you might be pretty done with Thanksgiving leftovers…am I right? Today’s recipe is something I always order when I see it on a menu at a restaurant. Since it’s super easy, I feel that if a restaurant can’t do steamed mussels and clams well, then the rest of the menu probably isn’t that great either. Serve it with a lot of broth, a warm loaf of crusty sourdough and that’s all you need!

We are steaming these mollusks with white wine, fresh herbs (whichever ones you like!) and fresh garlic. I found fresh mussels and clams at my local Fresh Market. They are wild caught from New England, and they came in handy 2 pound bags. I kept them on ice overnight, in the fridge. To prep them, I gave them a little scrub and a good rinse of cold water. The mussels might need to have their little beards snipped off with kitchen shears.

The Broth

Mussels and clams cook quickly, so I like to have the ingredients for my broth ready to go. I have minced shallots, diced tomatoes (seeds removed), chopped green olives and a 1/2 cup of cream. Rough chop some parsley for garnish.

Rinsed and cleaned, toss all the mussels and clams in a stockpot and add 2 cups of white wine, a good handful of fresh herbs and the crushed, rough chopped garlic. I am using fresh thyme sprigs. We will steam them with the lid on for about 8-10 minutes. You can peek a few times to check to see if they are all opened.

Use a slotted spoon to scoop them out into a large shallow serving bowl. Trash any of the mussels and clams that did not open.

Strain the liquid into a bowl to remove any shell pieces and most of the fresh herb stems.

Return the liquid to the stockpot and if you like a lot of broth, add the rest of the wine left in the bottle. Bring this up to a boil and reduce it by half. Add the shallots, olives, tomatoes and stir in the cream. Let this simmer for a minute or two and turn off the heat. Add some fresh cracked pepper and a pinch of Kosher salt, give it a good stir.

Pour or ladle the broth over the steamed mussels and clams. Top with loads of fresh parsley and that’s it!

This recipe could easily feed four adults as an appetizer, but Alex and I ate EVERY LAST MOLLUSK! So, if you make this to my recipe, you will have about one quart of leftover broth. So, when you’re finished dipping your sourdough and slurping the broth with a spoon, save it for leftovers. My plan is to cook it down a little, add more cream to thicken it up and have it with Linguini.

Homemade Goodness

As I mentioned at the top, this is one of my favorite things to order and eat at a restaurant. This is because, when I was a kid growing up in Santa Cruz, California, my parents would take my sister and I to the beach to harvest mussels. My mom would steam them and we’d have crusty San Francisco sourdough. Just like Tamales, steamed mussels are a taste of my childhood. After I made this dish yesterday, I realized that I can make a damn good version of it – no need for it to be a restaurant-only treat! : )

Thank you all for joining me today! I hope you make steamed mussels and clams! Make it your own and tell me how you did it differently, or make it to the recipe and let me know how it goes for you! Reach out to me on facebook or Instagram, Pinterest or here on the blog! Take care and have a beautiful Wednesday, everyone! Be well, xo Kelly

Print Recipe

Steamed Mussels and Clams

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Main Course, Appetizer, Brunch – American

By Kelly Djalali – Serves: 2-4

Prep Time: 20 Minutes – Cooking Time: 8-10 Minutes – Total Time: 30 Minutes

A wine-based, slightly creamy broth with olives, tomatoes and shallots meld beautifully with the briny flavor of steamed mussels and clams.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. Mussels, scrubbed with Beards removed
• 2 lbs. Clams, scrubbed
• 1 750ml Bottle of White Wine (2 cups for the steaming, the rest for the broth)
• 2-3 Garlic Cloves, crushed and rough chopped
• Handful of Fresh Herbs (Thyme, Oregano, Parsley or Rosemary)
• 1/2 cup Cream
• 1 cup Diced Tomato, seeds removed
• 1 cup Green Olives, pitted and rough chopped
• 1 medium to large Shallot, minced
• Fresh Parsley, rough chopped for garnish

Instructions

1

Add scrubbed Mussels and Clams to stockpot with 2 cups of white wine, Garlic and Herbs.

2

Over high heat with the lid on, steam until mussels and clams are open, about 8-10 minutes.

3

With a slotted spoon, transfer mussels and clams to a large, shallow serving dish. Trash any mussels or clams that have not opened.

4

Strain broth into a separate bowl to remove any shell fragments and herb stems, then pour strained broth back into the stockpot.

5

Add the rest of the bottle of wine (this is optional if you don't want a lot of broth, leave it out).

6

Bring to a boil and reduce by half.

7

Add shallots, tomatoes, olives, and stir in the cream. Let this simmer for one or two minutes and turn off heat. Add cracked black pepper and Kosher salt to taste.

8

Pour or ladle broth over steamed mussels and clams. Top with rough chopped parsley.