Broiled Clams With Tomatoes, Butter, and Tarragon Recipe

Tender clams and juicy tomatoes in a buttery, herbal sauce, all made in just one skillet. And you only need to turn the broiler on for a short time.

By
Michael Harlan Turkell
Michael Harlan Turkell: Contributing Writer at Serious Eats
Michael Harlan Turkell

Michael Harlan Turkell is a once-aspiring chef and now an award-winning food pho­tographer and writer. He has photographed many prominent chefs’ cookbooks, co-authored a few, and even wrote one of his own: ACID TRIP: Travels in the Word of Vinegar (2017).

Learn about Serious Eats' Editorial Process
Updated November 12, 2019
broiled clams with tomatoes and tarragon
Photographs: Vicky Wasik

Why It Works

  • Purging the clams guarantees sandy ones won't ruin the dish.
  • The broiler provides intense top-down heat, cooking the clams and other ingredients quickly with a minimum of fuss.

Sometimes flipping on the broiler for a few minutes is the fastest way to get dinner on the table without having to toil over a hot stove and flaming burners. Here, the broiler's intensity is used to quickly brown garlic in olive oil, burst tomatoes, and cook briny clams just until they pop open. Before you know it, dinner will be on the table.

Recipe Details

Broiled Clams With Tomatoes, Butter, and Tarragon Recipe

Prep 5 mins
Cook 15 mins
Active 20 mins
Standing Time 25 mins
Total 45 mins
Serves 2 servings
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Ingredients

  • Kosher or sea salt

  • 1 dozen littleneck clams (about 1 pound)

  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

  • 4 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced

  • 8 ounces (225 g) grape or cherry tomatoes

  • 1/2 cup dry white vermouth (120 ml)

  • 2 tablespoons (30 g) unsalted butter

  • 1/4 cup tarragon leaves (about 5 g)

  • Crusty bread, for serving

Directions

  1. Fill a large bowl with cold water and stir in enough salt to make it salty like the sea. Add clams and let stand 20 minutes. Lift clams from water and discard purging water; if there is sand in the bottom of the bowl, rinse it out and repeat this process until clams no longer release sand into the water (usually 2 to 3 purging cycles).

  2. Turn on the broiler and position the top rack 4 to 6 inches from the broiler element. In a 9-inch cast iron pan, add olive oil and garlic. Broil for about 2 minutes, until garlic is slightly browned, but not burnt.

  3. Add tomatoes and a large pinch of salt, tossing to coat. Broil until tomatoes have burst and some of their juices have spilled into the pan, about 4 minutes.

  4. Add clams to the pan, nestling them between the tomatoes. Pour in vermouth and add butter in the center of the pan. Broil for 2 minutes, and then flip clams, baste with liquid and return to broiler until all clams have popped wide open, about 2 minutes longer (with an open-flame broiler, it's not impossible for the vermouth to briefly ignite; don't panic, just carefully blow out the flame and proceed). Broil for 1 additional minute after last clam opens, then remove from broiler. Baste clams once more.

  5. Pour clams, tomatoes, and all of the juices into a deep serving bowl. Garnish with tarragon on top and let it stand for a 1 minute before eating so the anise-flavored herb has enough time to wilt and permeate the broth. Serve with crusty bread.

Special Equipment

10-inch cast iron skillet

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
730 Calories
25g Fat
45g Carbs
63g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories 730
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 25g 32%
Saturated Fat 9g 46%
Cholesterol 184mg 61%
Sodium 3214mg 140%
Total Carbohydrate 45g 16%
Dietary Fiber 3g 10%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 63g
Vitamin C 69mg 344%
Calcium 322mg 25%
Iron 9mg 51%
Potassium 1897mg 40%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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