Do It Yourself: Sake Steamed Manila Clams

Eating in can be just as fun as eating out.  We love easy home cooking recipes perfect for a date night or good time with friends.  Nothing better than having friends over for football.  Here is what we made for our own little happy hour at home while we watched the SF forty-niners take another win for our city.


Sake steamed Manila clams with green onions cilantro and lemon zest.











Ingredients:
Serves 4

2 lb. Live Manila clams (try to pick out the larger ones for a juicier bite)

2 cups dry sake

1 lemon

1 bunch cilantro

1 bunch green onion

Note: You can get all this at once by going to an asian supermarket.


Before making your Manila clams soak them in fresh water for about 15-20 mins either in a pot or in a sink to get them to spit any sand that they have collected in their shells.  Throw away any clams that won't close or if the shell is cracked.  Clams that cannot close their shells are no longer fresh.

1. Pour 2 cups of dry sake into a pot and turn stove on high.

2. When sake comes to a boil throw the Manila clams in.  The clams will cool the sake a little.  Put the lid on the pot as the sake comes back to a boil.

3. Once boiling turn the stove down to med-low and let it steam for a few minutes.

4. Turn off the stove once the Manila clams are done.  You know when the clams are done once they open up.  Keep an eye on them.  You don't want to over cook the clams.  Over cooking the clams will leave you with small tough bites of clams and you don't want that.  You want to keep them juicy and tender.

5. Pour your Manila clams and sake broth into a large bowl.

6. Grab a handful of cilantro, chop it up (doesn't have to be finely chopped), and throw it in the bowl.

7. Do the same with the green onions.

8. Take the lemon and slice off just the top of the rind with a vegetable slicer (that yellow part of the lemon peel: 2-3 slices).  Squeeze the slice of the lemon peel on top of the Manila clams to release the aromatic oils of the lemon and throw the peels into the broth.  Feel free to use a grater and grate off the lemon peel to zest.

9. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze a little lemon juice to complete your Sake steamed Manila clams.

There you go!  Delicious Sake steamed Manila clams in less than 10 minutes.  Enjoy!