This recipe was passed along to me from a friend that lives on the cape and does her own clamming. Basil in anything is delicious. Serve with a crusty bread to soak up the sauce.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 TBL minced jalapeño chiles
- 1 cup canned tomato sauce, or canned diced tomatoes
- ½ cup dry white wine (Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay)
- 2 TBL fresh lemon juice
- 6 pounds of little neck clams, scrubbed clean
- ½ cup chopped fresh basil
- 1½ TBL grated lemon peel
Instructions
- Melt butter in a very large pot over medium-high heat
- Add minced garlic and jalapeño
- Stir until garlic is golden, about 2 minutes
- Add tomato sauce, wine, and lemon juice and bring to boil
- Add clams
- Cover and boil until clams open, about 9 minutes – discard any clams that do not open
- Add basil and lemon peel
- Season with salt and pepper
- Transfer clams to large bowl and serve with crusted bread for dipping