Steamed Clams in a Spicy Tomato Broth

One of my goals during my holidays was to come back armed with new food ideas and experiences.

At the beach where I swim daily, I see others diving, snorkeling for octopus, squid, sea urchin and γυαλιστερες or clams. For years I very much resented that others would dive in and reap the “fruits of the sea”….until now!

I asked a friend of the family to show me where and how to look for clams on the sea bottom. His answer was to simply dive in waters that are 2-3 metres deep and look for 2 holes in the sand…there’s clams there!

You what’s better than fresh seafood? Fresh seafood caught by yourself and for free!

Steamed Clams (γυαλιστερες) in a Spicy Tomato Broth

1 kg. of fresh clams
1/3 cup olive oil
2 large ripe tomatoes, grated into a puree by a box grater
4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 sweet red onion, sliced
1 small hot pepper
1/4 dry white wine
salt to taste
2 Tbsp dried oregano
1 slab of good feta, crumbled
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 scallion, roughly chopped

1. Place your clams in a colander and rinse them. Now put them in a bowl with water and add some cornmeal or flour. This will feed the clams and thus allow them to expel any sand they might contain. This process requires at least 1 hour.
2. Before cooking, rinse your clams one more time and reserve. In a medium to large pot, pour in your olive oil, grated tomato puree, garlic, onion and hot pepper and simmer for 10 minutes. Adjust for seasoning.
3. Add your white wine and clams and cover the pot. The clams should take about 10 minutes to cook. You know they are ready when they have all opened up. Discard any clams that have not opened.
4. Add and stir in your oregano, feta, parsley and scallion and serve hot with lots of crusty bread.