The World’s Best Steamer Clams
by Rob Endsley/Prince of Wales Sportfishing

Steamer clams cooked in dry white wine and Tillamook butter…are you kidding me?

Now that I have your attention check out my steamer clam recipe, which happens to be the best recipe for steamer clams on the face of this good green earth.

I grew up in steamer clam country here in the Puget Sound region of Washington State and know how to cook these delectable treats. This is the best steamer clam recipe you’ll ever enjoy and with any luck there’s a little wine left over to drink with your steamers when they are done.

Ingredients:
40 steamer clams
Dry White Wine
One stick Tillamook Butter
One clove diced garlic
1/2 cup of diced onion
1/4 cup of diced chives

This recipe works best with a dry white wine like a Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, or Riesling. I like to use Chardonnay because it’s a heckuva lot easier to pronounce than the others and it goes great in the nectar and on the table with the meal.

If you just dug the clams be sure to purge the steamer clams in a bucket of saltwater overnight to remove any sand and then rinse them in cold tap water to clean the shells, rolling them around to check for empty shells in the process. Place the clams in a pan and pour just enough white wine into the pan to barely cover them. Next add the stick of Tillamook butter and the diced garlic, onion, and chives and bring the mixture to a boil. Allow the steamers to boil until the shells pop open, which usually takes around 5 minutes.

After all the shells have opened lower the temperature and simmer the nectar for 5 to 10 minutes on low heat to thoroughly mix all the flavors. Pour the steamers and nectar into a deep serving dish and slice up a loaf of sourdough bread for soaking up the buttery nectar.

These delicious steamer clams won’t last long!