How many pounds of clams do I need for 10 people?

Beer-Steamed Littleneck Clams are so good dipped in melted butter! Plus, I'm sharing tips for how to clean clams. It's fun to have a mini clambake at home!

More clams are sold in the Cleveland area than anywhere in the U.S., outside of New England. The typical Cleveland clambake includes steamed littlenecks, clam chowder, chicken, corn on the cob, sweet potatoes, plus any number of side dishes like coleslaw and mac ʼn cheese.

But, the clams are the best part, as far as my hubby and I are concerned. He’s a native New Englander and has lots of experience cooking shellfish.

What's a littleneck?

Known for having the best flavor, littlenecks are the smallest type of hard-shell clams (“quahogs.”) They’re named after Little Neck Bay in Long Island, which used to be a popular clamming location. But they live in abundance north of Oregon. 

Littlenecks, along with cherrystone clams, are considered the best clams to eat raw, but I only serve them cooked! (Cherrystones are similar to littlenecks but are a tad larger.) 

Littlenecks vs. steamers

You might be wondering about the difference between littlenecks and steamers. While littlenecks have a hard shell, steamers have a soft shell. And soft-shell clams are often referred to as “steamers” or “fryers” because they’re never eaten raw.

How to clean them

There’s nothing worse than a mouthful of gritty sand when you’re trying to enjoy a clambake! Here's how to clean littlenecks:

1. Fill a large pot or bowl with cold water and a small handful of salt. Set the pot next to the sink.
2. Rinse each clam under a light stream of cold water from the faucet while using a brush to scrub off any dirt.
3. Place the scrubbed clams in the salted water to soak for 15 minutes, which will draw out the sand.
4. Transfer them to a colander and rinse them. Drain and rinse the pot.

5. Fill the pot or bowl once more with salted water and soak the clams again for 15 minutes.

6. Drain and rinse the clams before steaming them.

How to steam clams

For this recipe, you'll need beer, water and a bay leaf to make the broth. It helps to have a steamer pot to cook the clams, but if you don't, I've provided instructions in the recipe notes.

Place equal parts beer and water in a pot that fits your steamer basket. Add the bay leaf, cover and bring to a boil.

Uncover the pot, add the steamer basket of clams and cover again. Steam them until they open wide, removing each one with tongs as soon as it's ready.

Some will open after seven minutes or so, while others will take up to 25 minutes. Discard any that remain closed after that time.

What parts to eat

You're going to want to eat the meat from the clam shell. The best way to do that is to use a small fork (but regular will do) to poke the meat and pull it out of its shell. Keep a small bowl handy for each person to discard the shells.

Dip the clams in melted butter with a squeeze of lemon, or in the beer broth used for cooking. And, don't forget to dip some Italian bread in that juice or melted buttah!

How many clams per person?

You’ll need a pound of clams (with shells) per person. There are about 10-13 littlenecks per pound. 

A bag of 50 littlenecks weighs about four pounds and should serve four. Keep in mind, any clams that don’t open after steaming will need to be discarded, so you’ll lose a few.

Now that you know what to do, I hope you'll give this recipe a try!

Enjoy!

P.S. If you love clams, don't miss these other recipes!

• White Wine Clam Sauce for Pasta 
• Baked Clam Dip

(Recipe Source: My hubby for Cooking with Mamma C. Originally published on September 22, 2016 and updated now with new photos and text.)

• ▢ 50 littleneck clams
• ▢ water for soaking the clams
• ▢ 2 small handfuls of salt (for soaking the clams)
• ▢ 12 ounces beer
• ▢ 12 ounces water
• ▢ bay leaf
• ▢ 3 tablespoons butter
• ▢ lemon wedges for serving
• ▢ bread for dipping in the broth

Clean the Clams

• Fill a large pot or bowl with cold water and a small handful of salt. Set the pot next to the sink.

• Rinse each clam under a light stream of cold water from the faucet while using a brush to scrub off any dirt.

• Place the scrubbed clams in the salted water to soak for 15 minutes, which will draw out the sand.

• Remove the clams to a colander and drain the water from the pot. Rinse out the pot.

• Fill the pot or bowl once more with salted water and soak the clams again for 15 minutes.

• Drain and rinse the clams before steaming them.

Steam the Clams

• To steam the clams using a steamer basket: Place the 12 ounces of beer, 12 ounces of water and bay leaf in a pot that fits your steamer basket. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil. (See notes if you don't have a steamer basket.)

• When the broth is boiling, add your steamer basket filled with clams to the pot. Cover and wait five minutes to see if the clam shells are starting to open. Some will open after 7 minutes. Others will take 15-25 minutes, depending on how close your basket is to the steaming liquid.

• Lower the heat as needed to keep the broth from boiling over.

• Use kitchen tongs to remove each clam when it opens wide and place it in a bowl. If you have any clams that won't open after 25 minutes of steaming, discard them.

• To serve, pour some of the beer broth into the serving bowl(s) with the clams to keep them warm. Melt the butter in the microwave and give some to each person in a bowl for dipping.

• To eat, use a fork to remove the clam from its shell, squeeze lemon on, if desired, and dip the clam into the melted butter. (You can also dip the clams in the broth, if you wish.)

To steam the clams without a basket, place equal parts beer and water in a pot, just enough that it will come halfway up the clams when you add them later. Add the bay leaf and bring the liquid to a boil. When it's boiling, add half the clams and cover the pot. Check on them after a couple of minutes to see if any are starting to open. Remove each clam after it opens. Continue with the rest of the clams.

Remember to plan for discarding any clams that don't open after steaming.  When I made these recently, I had to discard three clams out of 50.

Calories: 134kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 434mg | Potassium: 35mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 341IU | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg

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