GARLIC BUTTER BEACH CLAMS
MUNCHIES
D I Y F LY G U Y F R E D DAV I S ’ S G O -TO FO R AG E D S E A FO O D F E AST Photo. Fred Davis
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n the beaches of southern Oman, everything is bigger, and the clams and ghost crabs are no exception. As the tide drops, some clams get washed out of the sand in the shore break and the ghost crabs drag them up the beach and wait for the sun to do its trick and, quite literally, cook them. The clams open, they’re dead and the crabs feast. As you slowly walk the beaches in search of permit, it’s a straightforward forage for that night’s dinner. I learnt this recipe on the beaches of Peru and it has been used on bivalves in Tierra del Fuego, Chile, South Africa, Qatar and now Oman. The Recipe: • A big whack of butter, 5 – 8 tablespoons • A handful of grated/finely diced garlic • The juice of half a lemon • A potful of big old Omani beach clams* • A handful of chopped fresh parsley, chives or any green garnish of your choice ** • 1 cup white wine ** • Wedges from the other half of the lemon for garnish The Method: 1. The first thing you MUST do is to put your clams in a bucket of clean water (add two or three spoons of salt) and let them sit for at least an hour. This purges the sand from the clams. 2 In your pot, melt about half your butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until you get that sexy garlic butter smell. 3. Add wine and lemon juice and get the bubbles going. 4. Add clams and the rest of the butter. Put the lid on and steam until clams have opened. 5. Throw out any unopened clams. Let the good clams cool a bit. Sprinkle the green stuff on top and squeeze lemon wedges, if desired. Serve with a lekker white bread, like a French baguette. *This can be substituted for any clam or even SA’s own white mussels. ** On this Oman trip we didn’t have any of these. It doesn’t matter, they were still delicious!
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