I don’t know about you, but even for an inveterate cooking enthusiast like myself, the dog days of summer take their toll. I like to keep time spent over a hot stove to a minimum, so I turn to lots of quick and easy dishes that need little or no application of heat. Last night, for example, we had an insalata caprese, cured olives, pineapple and, to start things off, some grilled clams.
Did you know that clams taste great off the grill? Well, they do. And it takes all of 5 minutes to cook them. There is truly nothing to it:
Ingredients
- 1 bag of clams
To nap the clams:
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice and olive oil
- Salmoriglio sauce
Directions
Just place as many clams as you want to make on a grid (if you place them directly on the grates, you may well lose a few to the fire):
and grill them just until they open, which usually takes no more than 5 minutes.
Clams tend to open at different rates, so to avoid overcooking remove those that have already opened to your serving dish while the others cook, until they’re all done. NB: Use tongs and handle your clams gingerly, keeping them perfectly horizontal if you can to avoid losing their tasty brine.
You can serve your grilled clams as is, or with a drizzle of oil and/or a squeeze of lemon juice. But for even more flavor, try napping some freshly made salmoriglio sauce onto each clam. as pictured above. It complements the taste of the clams perfectly, and as when the leftover sauce mixes with the juices on the bottom of the dish, it makes for exquisite dipping with a crusty piece of homemade bread!
Notes
This technique for grilled clams works for other mollusks. Mussels (cozze) are particularly common, and uncommonly delicious, made this way.
Quick Note: Vongole alla brace (Grilled Clams)
Ingredients
- 1 bag of clams
To nap the clams:
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice and olive oil
- Salmoriglio sauce
Instructions
- Just place as many clams as you want to make on a grid (if you place them directly on the grates, you may well lose a few to the fire):
- and grill them just until they open, which usually takes no more than 5 minutes.
- Clams tend to open at different rates, so to avoid overcooking remove those that have already opened to your serving dish while the others cook, until they're all done. NB: Use tongs and handle your clams gingerly, keeping them perfectly horizontal if you can to avoid losing their tasty brine.
- You can serve your clams as is, or with a drizzle of oil and/or a squeeze of lemon juice. But for even more flavor, try napping some freshly made salmoriglio sauce onto each clam. as pictured above. It complements the taste of the clams perfectly, and as when the leftover sauce mixes with the juices on the bottom of the dish, it makes for exquisite dipping with a crusty piece of homemade bread!
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13 Comments on “Quick Note: Vongole alla brace (Grilled Clams)”
This is something I have to try, Frank. Especially with the salmoriglio. Your post — with all the beautiful meals — really brought back so many great memories of grilling while in Italy. We make all of these dishes — in fact we had grilled vegetables for dinner the other night… light and filling!
Italian grilling is the best, isn’t it? Mark just stopped by to share a wonderful story about some grilled pork chops you guys enjoyed in Tuscany once upon a time. And I’m sure there are many others. And this one is a winner, I think.
I don’t think I’ve ever had grilled clams! I know I haven’t prepared them this way. What a simple, delightful summer recipe (or any time of the year, but I do most of my grilling in the summer). This is terrific — thanks.
Me, too. Grilling this weekend for the first time in months! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Trix, So nice to know that you're trying out the recipes here! And you've given me an idea, since I just got a nice bunch of green beans. :=)
Hmm very nice !!
How cool! I have never grilled clams – and mussels are a favorite of mine, now I am very intrigued to try this. And yes, the summer has worn me down … last night in fact I made the green beans with lemon, salt and olive oil from this very site! : ) Boiling water was as much as I could bear …
Try it you'll like it… :=)
Sounds like we're on the same page, Linda…
Never thought of grilling clams! What a great idea!
Frank – I'm likely to have just some prosciutto and mozzarella with tomato salad on these hot days of summer too. The grilled clams with the salmoriglio sounds like a fantastic way to keep the heat outdoors but still dine on great food.
Thanks, Ellen! Do let us know how you and your guests like them!
What a fantastic idea. I am going to make these and serve them with wine on my patio the next time friends come to visit. Fabulous!