1.  Clean the clams to remove any sand and grit per the instructions in the notes below this recipe.

2.  When you are ready to prepare the clams, in a large sauté pan over medium high heat, add the olive oil and the chopped garlic. Sauté the garlic until it begins to sizzle and is fragrant.

 

 

 

3.  At this point, add the white wine to the pan and bring it to a simmer. Cover the pan and simmer for 2 minutes.

4.  Once the wine has simmered and evaporated slightly, add the clams to the pan along with the parsley. Cover the pan once again and simmer for about 5 - 10 minutes or until all of the clam shells have opened and the clams are thoroughly cooked through. The cooking time will depend on the size of the clams. If the clamshells do not open at all within 5 minutes of cooking remove those clams and discard them as they are not good.

5.  While the clams cook, they will release their own liquid. Uncover the pan and gently mix the liquid as it simmers in the pan. As you are mixing the cooking liquid, spoon it over the opened clams. Continue simmering until the sauce has reduced by about 1/3.

6.  Taste the sauce and add a pinch of salt as desired.

7.  Remove the pan from the heat, plate the clams with their sauce and serve with nice crusty bread to soak up the sauce. You can also serve this dish over your favorite pasta or rice.

Notes

To clean the clams and remove sand and grit: in a large mixing bowl add 3 generous tablespoons of salt. Place the clams in the mixing bowl with salt. Fill the bowl with fresh, cold water to cover the clams. Mix well to dissolve the salt. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for 1 - 2 hours. After at least an hour, remove the clams from the water one by one and set aside. Do not dump the water with the clams or the grit will go back into the clams. Once the clams are removed from the water, dump the dirty water. Refill the bowl with another 3 generous tablespoons of salt. Add the clams back to the bowl and refill with fresh water. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for another 1 - 2 hours and repeat this process 1 - 2 more times until you see little to no grit or sand in the water. When you are ready to cook the clams, remove the clams from the soaking water and rinse with fresh water.

You can also add 1 pint of rinsed cherry tomatoes or 1/3 - 1/2 cup of tomato sauce/ puree to this mixture just prior to adding the clams. Once you add the cherry tomatoes or the sauce to the pan, cover the pan and let the ingredients cook for 8 - 10 minutes or until the cherry tomatoes begin to burst and soften or 5 - 7 minutes for the tomato sauce to simmer thoroughly. When the tomatoes have burst or the sauce has incorporated into the white wine mixture, add the clams to the pan and proceed with the rest of the recipe.

For a spicier dish, add 1/2 teaspoon of chili pepper flakes to the pan with the garlic and olive oil. Sauté the ingredients per step 2 of the instructions and continue with the recipe as stated.