Skillet-Grilled Littleneck Clams

Adapted by Bill St John from Jamie Purviance at weber.com. Per dozen clams, easily multiplied. Instead of steaming the clams on a stovetop, doing so over a charcoal fire adds a nice whisper of smokiness. Plus it looks way cool.

Ingredients

  • 1 dozen Marczyk Fine Foods littleneck clams

  • 1/4 Marczyk Fine Foods ciabatta, sliced longwise into thick “fingers”

  • 1 tablespoon Bonamini Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Veneto, Italy

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced shallot

  • 1 large garlic clove, slivered or minced

  • 2-3 wedges lemon

  • 1/3 cup dry white wine or “light” unsweetened apple juice

  • 1/2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

  • Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Scrub the clams and rinse them in four rounds of cold water to remove any sand or grit. Prepare a grill with the charcoal for direct-heat grilling over medium-high heat (450-500 degrees). When the coals are ready, grill the bread fingers quickly (30-60 seconds) so that they take up some char but do not burn. Set them aside.

  2. Place a 10-12 inch cast-iron skillet (or other ovenproof skillet or wok) on the grill and to it add the olive oil and the butter. Immediately as the butter melts, add the shallot, stirring a bit. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add the lemon wedges, squeezing each a bit when adding them. Add the wine or juice and cook for 1 minute more.

  3. Add the clams and cook over direct heat, with the grill’s lid closed, until the clams open wide, anywhere from 8-15 minutes, depending on the clams, stirring every few minutes. (Discard and do not consume any unopened clams.)

  4. Sprinkle on the parsley; season with freshly ground black pepper, if desired. Eat the clams from the skillet, sopping up the skillet juices with the toasted bread. Or serve the clams in their shells with the skillet juices in large deep bowls with the toasted bread to the side.