Name: Dave Pynt’s clams in garlic brown butter
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 8 - 10
Ingredients: ½ sourdough loaf, halved lengthways and thickly sliced; 1 kg clams, cleaned; ½ cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley; Brown-butter sauce; 400 gm cold butter, diced; 40 gm garlic cloves (about ½ bulb), finely chopped; 25 gm salted capers, rinsed well and patted dry; Lemon juice to taste, plus extra wedges to serve

Dave Pynt’s clams in garlic brown butter

This clam dish makes a tasty yet simple supper for the warmer months. Gather round your pals, pour the wine and dive in.

Serves 8 - 10

Prep

15M

Cook

20M

Total

35M

“It’s important to get the clams off the coals as soon as they start to open,” says Dave Pynt. “Their juices are used to emulsify the garlic and brown butter sauce.”

Ingredients

½ sourdough loaf, halved lengthways and thickly sliced

1 kg clams, cleaned

½ cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Brown-butter sauce

400 gm cold butter, diced

40 gm garlic cloves (about ½ bulb), finely chopped

25 gm salted capers, rinsed well and patted dry

Lemon juice to taste, plus extra wedges to serve

Method

1.For brown-butter sauce, heat a saucepan over high heat. Add butter and cook without stirring until foaming and nut-brown (8-10 minutes). Strain into a clean pan, add garlic and cook over medium-high heat until garlic is golden brown (3-4 minutes). Strain, discard garlic and stir in capers. Brown-butter sauce can be made up to a week ahead; reheat it to serve. Season with lemon juice just before using.

2.For the barbecue, burn wood slowly down to embers. Brush sourdough generously with brown butter sauce (reserve 100gm for clams) and grill on a wire rack until toasted on both sides (2-3 minutes each side).

3.Meanwhile, place the clams in a metal sieve with a flameproof handle or place on a wire rack and cook over the embers, transferring to a heatproof bowl as soon as they start to open (6-12 minutes). Add remaining brown butter sauce and toss well until the sauce starts to thicken slightly (1-2 minutes). Throw in parsley and season with lemon juice, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

4.To serve, place toast in large serving bowls and top with clams and sauce.

Drink Suggestion: Something that’s fresh but also brings a touch of nuttiness to the party, such as a white with a little acidity and a bit of age – a Clare Valley riesling with four to six years on it, for instance. Drink suggestion by Andrew Cameron.
Notes