Biggest mistake people make is cook the heck out of the clams. Steaming them until open is one sure way of overcooking.
Best to open the clam and cook the meat no more than a minute.

We're currently working on a couple of bottles we brought back from some old woman with some olive trees and a hand painted sign on a dirt road from our last trip to Italy. She's in the GPS for the next trip over.

In the US I've become real partial to a store in Sonoma, they make their own and do mail order. Figones of California. A few of the wineries we do business with make some good oils too, if I'm buying wine I may fill one slot with a bottle of oil.

In New York, Fairway has some very good oils and most are at reasonable prices (reasonable price is of course totally subjective), and the Olive Oil company in Grand Central has some good oils, but is way too pricey.

I prefer a very strong grassy peppery dark green cloudy oil, which can be very hard to find unless the place has a great variety of oils. There's just not a market for that in the US. It's an acquired taste that like many things may take some building up to, but find a place that has several different types and lets you taste them. At first the straw/grass/pepper may be a bit strong, but give it a few tries and you may find it's really worth the extra money.

At Old Spaghetti Factory.. I like my back ribs with spaghetti/clam sauce.. perfect combo..

It's 9:30am.

And not to early for clams. Man, I'm hungry. My SO is vegetarian and even she wants this.

Time for her to become pescetarian :)

Since you mention it, just last week, the Wahoo was so fresh on Kauai she tried a small bite. And didn't die :p

cordelli, your last point is the reason I haven't tried to make it myself -- I don't know how to cook the clams properly so that they flavor the sauce. Any tips?

regarding olive oil. the bottles are dated. after a year, time to get fresh oil.

Yeah, because of this thread I bought a sack of clams and made some last night. It was wonderful.


Because of the need some posters feel to argue the most simple of posts, I have deleted the way I make my clam sauce from this post. It was certainly not meant to bring on attacks implying I don't have clue what I'm doing. I don't feel it's worth the hassles, and in the future should somebody come across it I don't see the need for what has to be one of the stupidest discussions on Flyertalk to be brought back to the top of the list.

It really sucks that some people feel the need to get personal, it is what it is.

cordelli, glad to have inspired what sounds like a great meal. Thanks for the step-by-step instructions.

I still wouldn't mind restaurant recommendations for pasta with clams, though, for when I'm traveling. :cool:

Seems to me that by following this recommendation (lightly browning the garlic before adding the clams), the garlic would be burnt to hell by the time the clams open and release their juice.

Saute the hot peppers then add the garlic and clams at the same time.

+1.. Cordelli's post is inspiring me to go to a restaurant and eat freshly made clam sauce on spaghetti.. just like mama makes it, but not at home..:D

Posts like this totally crack me up.

If you want to add the garlic later, go ahead, there's no clam police.

I'll continue to cook it the way I have for ages, never once having the garlic "burnt to hell"

Eeeeeeasy there, Trigger.
Simply made an observation on your method and commented upon it. Chill a bit, eh?

But putting the garlic and clams in at the same time is
likely to cause a less good-tasting dish. Don't listen to
the man behind the curtain: saute the garlic first in
ample oil. If you're worried about the stuff burning,
which you shouldn't, if you have any technique at all,
remove it with a slotted spoon and return it later when
all is nice and wet.