recipe time!

cherrystone clams are badass. they can live for a month out of water just chillin' on the supermarket counter, which i suppose is frightening and would dissuade any normal person from eating them, but they taste GUUUUUUUD. anyhow, they are the big 3 inch clams (not the littlenecks, which are the 1 inchers).

here is my steamed cherrystone recipe, which is part of the valentine's day seafood dinner i'm cooking for my girlfriend (sorry, but the mussel recipe is secret!):

CHERRYSTONES STEAMED IN BEER

6 live cherrystones
1/2 bottle (6oz) of sam adams lager (sam adams white ale would be ideal, but whatever, my supermarket ran out of it)
1/2 cup (4oz) of chicken stock
6 cloves crushed garlic
1/4 cup parsley
pinch red pepper flakes
pinch black pepper
pinch sugar
pat of butter
olive oil

saute garlic in olive oil for a couple of minutes
then pour in the chicken stock, beer, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and sugar
bring to boil
toss in the clams and steam until open (approx 4-5 minutes) and NO MORE!
somewhere in the middle of steaming toss in the parsley and butter

serve immediately.