Name: Clammy Situation (with Jerk, Salami & White Wine)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 3-4
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: ~24 fresh clams (little necks or manila); 2 tbsp salt (for soaking); 1 tbsp olive oil; ½ large yellow onion, thinly sliced; ¼ tsp kosher salt; 7 garlic cloves, minced; ½ cup finely diced salami (or nduja if you’ve got it); 2 heaping tbsp Jerk Me Up, Scotchie (jerk marinade); ½ stick unsalted butter (yes it’s a lot—I have no shame, reduce if you must); 1¾ cups dry white wine; ½ tbsp kosher salt (cut to ¼ tbsp if your salami is salty); ¼ cup torn Italian parsley; juice of ½ lemon; crusty bread (or a spoon if you’re gluten free—sip that broth!)

Clammy Situation (with Jerk, Salami & White Wine)

Chef Alexa

Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users

Cuisine

French

Author:

Chef Alexa

Servings

3-4 As a main, 4 as an appetizer

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

20 minutes

A bold, briny main—or a show-stealing appetizer—where fresh clams steam open in a buttery bath of dry white wine, spicy jerk marinade, and savory salami. It’s steamy, spicy, unapologetically rich, and begging for a chunk of harddough bread (or a spoon).

Ingredients

~24 fresh clams (little necks or manila)
2 tbsp salt (for soaking)
1 tbsp olive oil
½ large yellow onion, thinly sliced
¼ tsp kosher salt
7 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup finely diced salami (or nduja if you’ve got it)
2 heaping tbsp Jerk Me Up, Scotchie (jerk marinade)
½ stick unsalted butter (yes it’s a lot—I have no shame, reduce if you must)
1¾ cups dry white wine
½ tbsp kosher salt (cut to ¼ tbsp if your salami is salty)
¼ cup torn Italian parsley
juice of ½ lemon
crusty bread (or a spoon if you’re gluten free—sip that broth!)

Directions

Clam Prep 101

Before cooking, go through your clams—toss any with cracked or chipped shells. If any are open, give them a firm tap; if they don’t close up, toss those too. After cooking, discard any clams that don’t open. Don’t second-guess it—when in doubt, throw it out.

Purge the Clams

Soak your clams in cold water with 2 tbsp salt for about 15 minutes to help them spit out grit. Rinse well and set aside. (Optional: add a spoon of cornmeal to help purge more sand.)

Sauté the Base

In a wide pot over medium-high, heat olive oil and sweat onions with ¼ tsp salt for 2 minutes until soft and just starting to char.

Build Flavor

Stir in garlic and salami, cook another 2 minutes. Add Jerk Me Up, Scotchie and the butter—yes, the whole half stick. Let it melt into a glossy, spicy base.

Steam It

Toss in the clams, pour in the white wine, and add your salt (taste and adjust based on your salami). Cover, bring to a boil, and let steam for 8 minutes, shaking the pot gently a couple of times to help everything open up.

Finishing Touches

Remove the lid—take in that spicy, buttery steam facial—and toss in the parsley and lemon juice. Discard any clams that didn’t open.

Serve It Up

Pile into a bowl, grab some bread to soak up the magic, or sip the broth straight like I did—gluten-free girl problems.

Recipe Note

Why It Hits:

The ocean brine, buttery heat, smoky jerk, and salami richness all hit different. It’s spicy, messy, and packed with flavor. This one’s for the real ones.