Poached Clams with Pecans, Orange, and Basil
Clams are often served raw on the half shell, but they are even more versatile when cooked then returned to the shell to be eaten chilled with various accompaniments. I love the unexpected bright and cheerful combination of orange and clams, along with the textural punctuation of crunchy pecans and cooling, aromatic basil.You can also try this with mussels or a combination of mussels and clams.
Ingredients
- 1-inch knob fresh ginger cut into largepieces*
- Zest and juice of 1 orange (about ¼ cup juice)
- 24 littleneck clams
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ small red onion diced (about ¼ cup)
- 1 garlic clove grated on a Microplane or minced
- ½ cup pecan pieces
- 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
- Salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- Fresh basil leaves
- *Instead of ginger, you could use a few cardamom pods and bay leaves to flavor the water.
Instructions
- Pour ½ inch of water into a wide-bottomed pot and add the ginger, orange juice, and clams. Cover and cook over high heat until the clams have opened, 6 to 10 minutes, shaking the pan halfway through. Discard any that do not open. Remove the clams and reserve them. Strain the liquid, reserving ¾ cup.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the red onion, garlic, and pecan pieces and cook until toasted and aromatic, about 4 minutes. Add the orange zest, vinegar, and the reserved clam cooking liquid. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer.
- Remove from the heat and season with salt if needed. Remove the clam meats from the shells, discarding one shell from each clam. Spoon the pecan mixture evenly into the remaining shells, placing a clam on top of each. Garnish with pepper and torn basil.
