Grilled Clams: Diary of a Foodie : gourmet.com

Diary of a Foodie

Serves4 (first course)

March 2008

Light a fire well over to one side of your grill, using enough coals to fill a shoebox. When coals are all ignited, the flames have died down, and the temperature is hot (you can hold your hand 5 inches above the grill rack directly over the coals for 1 to 2 seconds), you’re ready to cook.
Put butter, wine, garlic, and smoked paprika in a shallow foil pan large enough to hold clams in 1 layer and sturdy enough to resist the heat of the fire (do not add clams yet). Place pan on grill near fire, not directly over it, and cook, stirring a few times, until butter is melted and mixture is fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Let the sauce come to a simmer, then slide the pan to the side of the grill farthest away from the fire.
Place clams flat on hot side of grill, directly on grill grate and cook until they pop open, 3 to 7 minutes. Use tongs to transfer clams, with any juices, to the pan containing the sauce as they are done. (Discard any that do not open.)
While clams cook, arrange bread slices around the perimeter of the fire until lightly toasted, about 1 minute per side.
When all the clams are in the pan, stir them around a bit to coat with sauce and sprinkle generously with parsley and kosher salt and pepper to taste.
Serve clams right out of the pan, along with the toasted bread to soak up the juices.

Recipe by John Willoughby

Photograph by Romulo Yanes