Steamed Clams with Sausage is a savory and delicious seafood dish that combines the sweet, briny taste of clams with the spicy kick of hot sausage, creating a hearty and satisfying meal. This steamed clams recipe can be served as an appetizer, or a main course.
Why You Should Make This Steamed Clams Recipe
- Flavorful: The mix of clams and sausage creates a delightful balance of briny and spicy flavors.
- Simple Ingredients: This clam recipe uses common ingredients that are easy to find, making it convenient to prepare.
- Impressive Presentation: Perfect for dinner parties or special occasions, this shellfish dish looks as good, as it tastes.
- Versatile and Customizable: Easily adaptable to include your favorite herbs or spices, or even substitute ingredients to suit your taste.
- Budget Friendly: Utilizing affordable ingredients like clams, sausage and beans, this hearty seafood dish is cost-effective, without sacrificing flavor.
What Type of Clams
For this recipe, littleneck or middleneck clams are ideal due to their sweet, tender meat and small size, which allows them to cook quickly and evenly. These clams are commonly available at most seafood markets and offer a perfect balance of flavor and texture.
If you can’t find littleneck or middleneck clams, you can also use cherrystone clams, which are slightly larger, but still delicious in this seafood dish.
How to Clean Clams
Clams you buy from the market are typically quite clean, but it’s always a good idea to take the extra step of soaking them. Soaking the clams in water with a bit of flour helps ensure that any remaining grit or sand is expelled, guaranteeing a perfectly clean and enjoyable dish.
Check out my guide, How to Clean Clams, for everything you need to know about clam varieties and how to properly clean them.
Ingredients
- Clams: Littleneck or middleneck clams work best in this clam dish. For a different flavor profile, try making this seafood recipe with mussels.
- Sausage: Substitute with mild sausage or chorizo, for a different flavor profile. Feel free to leave out.
- Shallot: A small onion can be used, if shallots are not available.
- Cherry Tomatoes: Grape tomatoes or diced Roma tomatoes can be used as alternatives.
- Clam Juice: Fish or seafood stock can be used if clam juice is unavailable.
- White Wine: Easily substitute by adding in additional clam juice or seafood stock.
- Cannellini Beans: Navy beans or great northern beans can be used instead.
How to Prepare Steamed Clams with Sausage
Not only is this recipe easy to follow, but it also comes together quickly!
- Soak the clams in water with flour for 10 minutes to clean them.
- Heat olive oil in a large pot and brown the sausage, breaking it up as it cooks.
- Rinse the clams, discarding any that are broken.
- Add minced shallots and garlic to the browned sausage and sauté for one minute.
- Add halved cherry tomatoes, salt and pepper, and sauté for another 1-2 minutes.
- Deglaze the pot with white wine, scraping up any browned bits.
- Pour in clam juice and bring to just under a boil.
- Add the clams, cover, and steam until they open (6-8 minutes). Transfer opened clams to a bowl, discarding any that don’t open.
- Reduce heat and gently fold in cannellini beans and fresh parsley, warming through.
- Return the clams to the pot and stir gently to combine.
- Serve in bowls, garnished with fresh parsley and lemon wedges.
How to Serve and Store Steamed Clams with Sausage
- Serve this hearty clam dish with a crusty baguette, or garlic bread to soak up the flavorful broth.
- A simple green salad, or steamed vegetables make great side dishes.
Storing Leftovers:
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- Reheat gently on the stove over low heat to avoid overcooking the clams.
- Alternatively, use leftover clams in pasta.
More Clam Recipes to Love
- Butter Garlic Steamed Clams
- Clams in Sambuca Cream Sauce
- Clams in a Red Curry Coconut Sauce
- Spaghetti with Clams
- Clams Casino
- Clams Oreganata
- Bucatini with Clams
- Clams with Chorizo Tomato Broth
Steamed Clams with Sausage
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Steamed Clams with Sausage is a savory and delicious seafood dish that combines the sweet, briny taste of clams with the spicy kick of hot sausage, creating a hearty and satisfying meal.
Ingredients
- 50 littleneck or middleneck clams
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 3 hot sausage links
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 shallot, minced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 8-ounce bottle clam juice
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Fill a large bowl with water and add the flour. Place the clams in the water and allow them to soak for at least 10 minutes to help clean them by encouraging them to expel any sand.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot or deep sauté pan over medium heat. Add the sausage links, breaking them up, as they brown.
- As the sausage is browning, pick through the clams and discard any that are broken. Rinse the clams thoroughly and reserve.
- Once the sausage is browned, add the minced shallots and garlic to the pot. Sauté for about a minute until fragrant.
- Add the halved cherry tomatoes and season with salt and black pepper.
- Sauté for another minute or two before deglazing the pan with the white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Pour in the clam juice and bring the mixture to just under a boil.
- Gently add the clams to the pot. Cover and allow the clams to steam until they open.
- As the clams open, transfer them to a bowl. Discard any clams that do not open after about 8 minutes.
- Once all the clams are opened and removed from the pot, turn down the heat and gently fold in the rinsed and drained cannellini beans and fresh parsley.
- Allow the mixture to warm through for a minute before adding the clams back to the pot.
- Stir gently to heat the clams through.
- Serve the steamed clams in a large bowl, or individual bowls.
- Garnish with additional fresh parsley and serve with lemon wedges.
- ENJOY!
Notes
- Prep ahead by mincing shallots and garlic, and halving cherry tomatoes in advance.
- Littleneck or middleneck clams work best in this recipe.
- Soak the clams in water and flour for at least 10 minutes to allow them to expel any sand/grit.
- Rinse the clams.
- Ensure clams are fresh and tightly closed before cooking.
- Deglaze the pot thoroughly with white wine to enhance flavor.
- Monitor clams closely during steaming and remove promptly as they open.
- Discard any clams that do not open after steaming.
- Serve the dish immediately after cooking for optimal taste and temperature.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Dinner
- Method: Easy
- Cuisine: Seafood
GET TO KNOW ME!
WELCOME! My name is Melissa Latin aka. Charlotte Fashion Plate. Happy to meet you! I am more than just recipes. I love fashion and style too! Most importantly, I love my Family (my Hubby and my Fur Babies). My Husband (aka my “Kitchen Bitch”) means the world to me. He’s pretty damn cool too. Not only is he one of the nicest guys you will ever meet, he also has had a lengthy career in professional hockey. Not only winning two Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the early ’90’s, but most recently winning the Calder Cup with the Charlotte Checkers, amongst many other accolades. If you live in Charlotte and play hockey, or have a family member who plays, be sure to contact him!
Our life has changed dramatically in the past few years with the passing of our two goldendoodles, Vegas and Viva. We were lucky enough to have Vegas for five years (totally wish it was longer). Most recently, losing our Viva to a brain tumor in July of 2020. We welcomed our mini goldendoodle 7, almost seven years ago. We just added the amazing Hazel! Of course, I am always posting tons and tons of photos! Be sure to check out my recipe for Pet Bone Broth! This broth is super rich in nutrients and will provide your pet with a multitude of health benefits!
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6 Comments
[…] are prepared. I had a bit of chorizo in the fridge, so I thought I would do a little take on my Clams with Sausage recipe. The chorizo married with the crushed tomatoes added a whole different level of flavor and […]
[…] out more of my amazing clam recipes: Clams with Sausage, Clams in Sambucca Cream, Clams Oreganata, Spaghetti with Clams, Clams in a Red Curry Coconut […]
[…] Drain and rinse the beans. I have tried many brands of cannellini beans for this recipe. Bush’s work the best. They tend to stay whole, and not fall apart. I use them in a number of my recipes. These beans are great in Turkey Chili, White Chicken Chili, and I also add them to my Clams with Sausage. […]
[…] what is not to love about my recipe Clams with Sausage? How about adding in a few splashes of Sambuca and cream. This is a super easy recipe for Clams in […]
[…] on a more non-traditional approach by adding hot Italian sausage from Johnsonville, like I do in my Clams with Sausage. Yes, you can leave out the sausage if you so desire. Just let me tell you, I will be making this […]
[…] broth with clams and/or even shrimp. It’s that spectacular! In fact, the broth I make for my Clams with Sausage, is quite similar (minus the sausage, of […]