Cherry Stone Clams

Cherry Stone Clamswith Charred Corn and Poblano Salsa

IntermediateIntermediate

Use sous vide to create the perfect texture and flavor for clams finished on the grill.

Ingredients

Charred Corn and Poblano Salsa:

2 ears of corn, shucked
1 Tbsp butter, melted
1 poblano pepper
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
1 tsp salt

Clams:

3 dozen cherry stone clams (may substitute little neck clams)
2 ½ C white wine
4 garlic cloves, smashed
2 tsp saffron
2 bay leaves
2 tsp red pepper flakes
Pinch of salt
2 Tbsp butter
¼ C parsley, chopped

Overview

Equipment

  • Sous vide pouches
  • Sous vide circulator
  • Vacuum sealer
  • Grill
  • Knife
  • Plastic wrap
  • Small bowl with lid
  • Small saucepan

Timing

Prepping time: 30 minutes / Cooking time: 30 minutes (excludes sous vide cooking time)

Servings

4

Directions

For the Charred Corn and Poblano Salsa:

  1. Preheat grill to high.
  2. Brush ears of corn with melted butter.
  3. Char corn and poblano on grill for eight minutes, turning both over halfway through.
  4. After charring, put the pepper in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap or a secure lid and let stand for 15 to 20 minutes.
  5. Then peel the pepper, cut in half, and remove the seeds. Dice small.
  6. Cut the corn kernels from the cob and combine with the diced poblano, lime juice, cilantro, and salt.

For the Clams:

  1. Preheat water bath to 181.4°F (83°C).
  2. Clean all clams under cold running water, scrubbing to remove dirt or loose shell fragments.
  3. In a small saucepan, simmer the wine to cook out the raw alcohol and reduce the natural sugars, five to seven minutes.
  4. Add smashed garlic, saffron, bay leaves, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt. Continue to simmer until the wine is reduced by half, about 7 to 10 minutes.
  5. Remove from heat, then add butter and parsley. Chill.
  6. Divide clams into two sous vide pouches and divide sauce equally into the bags. Compress and seal the pouches. Cook in water bath for 12 minutes.
  7. Once cooked, strain both bags of clams into a small saucepan. Reduce sauce by half again.
  8. Set aside to use for garnishing.
  9. Preheat grill to high.
  10. Char clams briefly, 30 seconds to a minute.

To Serve:

Arrange the grilled clams in a dish and add some of the reduced clam broth, to taste. Finish with charred corn and poblano salsa.

Developed by Chef Bruno Bertin, the Cuisine Solutions Culinary team, and CREA. Featured in Sous-Vide magazine Spring/Summer 2019.

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