Best Grilled Clams With Basil Bacon Salsa Recipes

GRILLED CLAMS ON THE HALF SHELL WITH BACON, GARLIC, AND HOT PEPPER

Steps:

• Preheat grill to high.
• Place a medium saute pan over medium-high heat, add the bacon and cook until lightly golden brown. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and continue cooking until the bacon is crisp. Remove from the heat, stir in the olive oil, parsley, and bread crumbs and season with black pepper, to taste.
• Top clams with bacon mixture and place on the grill. Grill for about 1 minute or until just cooked through. Serve immediately.

GRILLED CLAMS WITH BASIL BREADCRUMBS

Steps:

• Heat a gas grill or prepare a charcoal grill with hot coals.
• Combine the bread crumbs, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, pine nuts, salt and pepper in a large serving bowl and set aside.
• When the grill is hot, place the clams in 1 layer on the hot grate and allow the heat to open the clams. They'll open gradually for about 5 minutes, then pop-open wide when they're done. Using tongs, remove the clams from the grill and place them in the bowl with the bread crumb mixture and toss together. Drizzle with the melted butter, and serve hot.

LINGUINE WITH GRILLED CLAMS AND BACON

Steps:

• Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking over hot charcoal (high heat for gas), leaving about one third of grill free of coals (or, for a gas grill, shutting off one or two burners); see Grilling Procedure .
• Cook bacon in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until crisp. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.
• Stir together oil, garlic, red-pepper flakes, and lemon juice in foil pan and put on grill over area with no coals.
• Grill clams on grill rack over coals, turning with tongs, until they open, 3 to 7 minutes, transferring as opened to foil pan and being careful not to spill their juices. (Discard any clams that remain unopened after 7 minutes.)
• Cook linguine in a pasta pot of well-salted boiling water until al dente, then drain.
• Toss pasta with bacon, parsley, contents of foil pan, and salt and pepper to taste.

GRILLED CLAMS WITH GARLIC BUTTER

Steps:

• Preheat a grill or Great Grates over medium heat.
• Scrub and rinse the clams. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.
• Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a 1-quart saucepan over low heat until it is foamy. Add the garlic and saute, stirring, until it is fragrant but does not color, about 30 seconds. Add the white wine and heavy cream, increase the heat to medium-high and reduce by half, about 8 minutes. Add the remaining butter 1 piece at a time, whisking constantly, until the sauce is shiny, emulsified, and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the chives and season with salt and pepper. Keep the sauce warm until ready to serve.
• Set up the littleneck clams on the grill or Great Grates or place them directly on the grill. Cook the clams without turning them. As soon as the clams pop open, after 8 to 10 minutes, transfer them carefully with tongs to a platter (or plates) of rock salt. If you are using a Great Grate, this won't be necessary. Use the tongs to pry off the top shells. Spoon 1 teaspoon sauce over each clam and serve immediately.

GRILLED CLAMS WITH FRIED GARLIC

Steps:

• Prepare a grill for direct grilling over high heat.
• Lightly brush the clams on both sides with olive oil. Arrange them on the grate, cover and cook until the shells pop open, 3 to 6 minutes. (You could grill the clams on aluminum foil to catch juices.)
• Pour the lemon juice into a baking dish large enough to hold the clams in one layer. Transfer the clams to the dish with tongs, trying not to spill the juices.
• Heat 3/4 cup olive oil in a small skillet on the grill. When hot, add the garlic and cook until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the pepper flakes, and stir for 15 seconds. Pour this over the clams.
• Transfer the clams to 4 deep bowls. Whisk the juices in the baking dish for 1 minute and pour over the clams.

EASY GRILLED CLAMS

Steps:

• Prepare a grill for very high heat.
• Tap any open clams; if they stay open, throw them out. Place the closed clams on the grill grate. Grill, covered, until the clams open, about 2 minutes. Carefully transfer all the opened clams to a bowl; throw out any clams that remain closed. Be careful not to lose any of the liquid in the shells-that's where the flavor is.

GRILLED CLAMS WITH HERB BUTTER

Steps:

• Preheat a grill to medium-high heat.
• In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the butter, herbes de Provence, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Heat until melted and beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to infuse.
• Meanwhile, place the clams directly on the hot grill. Close the lid and cook until the clams pop open, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the clams to a platter and serve with crusty bread and herb butter for dipping.

GRILLED CLAMS WITH SCALLIONS AND CUCUMBER

Steps:

• Preheat the grill on high heat.
• Cook the garlic: In a medium pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat. When it gets hot, add the garlic and ginger. Season lightly with salt and cook, stirring constantly, until they turn golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove them from the pan and immediately transfer to a medium bowl to cool. Stir in the pine nuts.
• In a larger bowl, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil with the cucumbers and chili flakes. Toss to coat them with the oil. Season them lightly with salt. Sprinkle them with the sugar, vinegar and the sliced scallions and toss to blend. Combine with the garlic and pine nuts.
• Cook the clams and finish the dish: Scatter the clams on the grill in a single layer. Have a pair of tongs and a large platter ready. Clams will being to open after 3 minutes and should take about 10 minutes total. As they open, use the tongs to remove them from the grill and place them on the platter. When they are all opened, squeeze the juice from the lemons over them and scatter the cucumber and pine nuts all around. Try to get the mixture inside the clam shells as well. It's so delicious when you bite into the clam and get all the other flavors (and the char on the outside of the shells) all at once. Serve immediately.

GRILLED CLAMS WITH BASIL-BACON SALSA

Steps:

• Cook 5 bacon slices in medium skillet over medium heat until almost crisp, turning occasionally, about 10 minutes. Transfer to paper towels. Repeat with remaining 5 bacon slices. Chop bacon.
• Mix salsa and basil in medium bowl.
• Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Cover bottom of 2 platters with 1/4-inch-thick layer of rock salt. Arrange clams directly on barbecue rack. Cover and grill until clams open, turning occasionally, about 8 minutes (discard any clams that do not open). Remove clams from rack.
• Using pot holders to protect hands, twist off and discard top shells of clams. Arrange clams, shell side down, atop salt on platters. Spoon salsa atop clams. Sprinkle with reserved bacon and serve.