Steamed clams with chorizo sounds like a fancy restaurant dish, especially in the coastal New Jersey restaurants near me, but they are actually really easy to make at home. The smoked Spanish sausage in this recipe elevates it to a gourmet level - but they will still taste amazing without it. The garlic, on the other hand, is not optional.
Besides how easy they are, and how they can put me in a summer mood even when I make them at home in the dark days of winter, one of the surprising nutritional benefits of clams is that they are high in iron.
A dozen small clams has 3g of iron, about the same as in four ounces of sirloin steak. Why is that important? Read on!
All about Iron
You probably know that iron is an essential component of the hemoglobin in our red blood cells which transport oxygen throughout our body. Iron gives blood its distinctive red color, and is also needed for thyroid hormone synthesis, DNA synthesis, and cell growth and replication.
Iron is really important for children, because it's such a big part of the growth process, and for women of child-bearing years, because they lose iron when they lose blood every month. Unfortunately, iron deficiency is one of the most common nutritional deficiencies in the world, especially for women and children because their needs are higher.
There are two types of iron – heme, from animals, and nonheme, from plants.
The best sources of heme iron are meats — especially red meat, and especially, especially liver. White meat, shellfish, and eggs are also good sources of heme iron. Good sources of non-heme iron include legumes, dark leafy greens, potatoes, nuts, seeds and quinoa.
It's estimated that you need almost twice as much iron from plant sources as from animal sources to satisfy your nutritional needs, because heme iron is more easily absorbed than non-heme. Lack of access to meat in the developing world, along with increasing adoption of plant-based diets in wealthier countries, may be contributing to the prevalence of iron deficiency.
Iron absorption can be increased by consuming a good source of vitamin C with the iron-containing food. Fortunately, clams are also an excellent source of vitamin C!
Soaking and sprouting legumes and nuts prior to cooking removes phytic acid, which can inhibit absorption of iron. Eating animal and plant food sources in the same meal also increases absorption.
Recipe Tips
Where I live, little neck clams are the most common, but clams come in a huge variety throughout the world. Choose whatever small, tender clams are local to you. (Save the larger, tougher clams for chowder.)
When you buy clams, they are still alive, and they should be steamed that way. Living clams will normally be tightly closed. If any have opened a little bit, give them a tap on the shell. If they're still alive, they will respond by closing. Any clams that are wide open before cooking, or that don't respond when tapped, should be discarded.
Since clams live in sandy mud, they can be really gritty if not cleaned properly. A high-quality seafood store which will have pre-cleaned them for you. When you get them home, scrub any loose sand from the outside of the shells and rinse thoroughly.
For removing grit that is inside the clams, you can try soaking them in water mixed with about 1/4 cup of dry cornmeal for 30 minutes. The idea is that the clams will filter the water, the cornmeal will replace the grit, and when the clams are steamed the cornmeal will dissolve. I don't know if this is an old wive's tale, but it's something I usually do when I make them.
Any white wine will do for this recipe. I've substituted beer in a pinch and that works too.
Thanks for checking out this recipe! I hope you enjoy it. While you're here, also check out how I work with clients to optimize their nutrition and achieve their health goals. Delicious real food is a necessary part of the process!
Steamed Clams with Chorizo
Serves 2
Ingredients
2-3 dozen littleneck clams, cleaned
1 clove garlic, minced
1 oz dry chorizo sausage, diced small
1 tablespoon butter
red pepper flakes to taste
6 ounces white wine
Instructions
Scrub and rinse clams well. Optionally follow the soaking procedure as described above.
Melt butter in a large, lidded saute pan or shallow pot over medium heat.
Add diced chorizo and sauté just until the fat starts to render out of the sausage.
Add garlic and optional red pepper flakes and cook briefly until the garlic starts to sizzle and you can smell the garlicky buttery aroma.
Add wine or beer and bring to boil.
Add clams and cover pan.
Steam for approximately 5 minutes, giving the pan a shake every once in a while. The clams will pop open once they are cooked. When all the clams are open (discard any that remain closed), they are ready to eat!
Serve in shallow bowls with a spoonful of the cooking liquid and a slice of lemon. Add a piece of crusty baguette for sopping up the delicious sauce.