New England Steamers

The first step is to purge the clams with cornmeal. This helps to reduce the amount of sand that the clams have ingested. Fill a bowl with cold water and add the clams. The water should cover the clams. Next add cornmeal and the salt to the water. Purge for at least four hours, adding ice every so often. Once complete, remove the clams from the bowl and rinse in cold water. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use them.

To steam the clams, add 1 cup of water per pound of clams to a large sauce pan. Add the clams in a single layer to the pan (complete them in batches if necessary). Cover the pan tightly with a lid and cook over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes. When the clams are open, they are ready. (Clams that don’t open or that are cracked should be discarded.)

Remove the clams from the sauce pan with a slotted spoon and repeat until all of the clams have been steamed. Serve with a little of the broth from the sauce pan, sprigs of parsley, lemon wedges and clarified butter for dipping.

(Recipe adapted from Lobster Rolls & Blueberry Pie by Rebecca Charles and Deborah DiClementi.)