Clams Steamed in Beer

Want to impress your guests? Here is another delightful dish - steamed clams with a tasty soup, which can be prepared in 15 mins.

It is a simple dish to prepare.

Preparation: Fry chopped garlic, chilies (& celery, if desired) in olive oil, then add in the clams. Add some fermented soya bean sauce (or simply soya sauce - just a bit will do). Add one can of beer, cover and steam for 5-10 mins over medium heat. The dish is ready when the shells are fully opened (discard those which are still close). Garnish with parsley, and serve hot.

Note: The dish/sauce goes very well with pasta or you can simply serve it as one of the dishes in a Spanish Tapas meal. Do not discard the excess stock, which is an excellent seafood base to fry "hokkien" prawn me.

Sand remaining in the clams can be very unpleasant on the tongue and will definitely spoil the eating experience. We prepared this dish last month and our guests asked us how we managed to clean the clams.
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Tip: How to choose and clean the clams?

First, you need to buy fresh clams from market ($2/packet). Remember that middle-sized ones rather than big ones have softer flesh and better taste. Today, we bought 2 kg from the market for $4, which I counted had 112 clams! Just enough for a tapas meal for 9 adults.

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Second, soak the clams in salted water for at least 30-60 mins to allow them to expel the sand and dirt. If you watched closely, you may even see the clams spitting water.

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Reference: Recipes of Japanese Cooking