Clammy Situation (with Jerk, Salami & White Wine)
Chef Alexa
3-4 As a main, 4 as an appetizer
20 minutes
20 minutes
French
Dinner
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
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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.
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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.)
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Pile into a bowl, grab some bread to soak up the magic, or sip the broth straight like I did—gluten-free girl problems.
