Gourmet White Wine Steamed Clams

Mmmm.... 

Impress your friends and family with your "gourmet-like" chef skills when creating these fabulously rich, yummy steamed clams.  So easy, so good, and pretty difficult to mess up. Perfect for a fall dinner party!

Ingredients:

• 1 stick of butter (1/2 cup)
• 2 cups + Good dry white wine, like a Chardonnay or a Sauvignon Blanc.  This will make or break this meal - don't skimp! (or if you want to do 1/2 wine and 1/2 water that's okay too, just don't use bad wine)
• 1/2 - 1 large chopped yellow onion 
• 4-5 chopped fresh garlic cloves
• 1 large fresh chopped-diced tomato  (can use canned)
• 1/4-1/2 cup fresh chopped Italian Parsley
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 cup prepared pasta sauce - a little spicy is better; try Arrabbiata or a really good Marinara with a few red pepper flakes
• Ground Pepper to Taste
• Kosher Salt to Taste
• 2 lbs. fresh scrubbed Manila clams - the smaller the tastier!

Directions:
Melt stick of butter in large stock pot.  Saute the onions and garlic until soft in the butter, then add the tomato.  Continue stirring and sauteing together while adding the parsley and the basil.  Add the pasta sauce, salt, pepper and then the wine. 

Bring to a slow simmer, then gently add in the clams.  Adjust with more wine, pasta sauce or water if clams are not swimming free in the broth!  

Continue simmering with the pot covered.  Cook until the clams are steamed open, should only take 5-10 minutes.  **Throw away any unopened clams**

Serve up in a deep bowl with broiled Parmesan cheese toasties for dipping,  and of course, 

a glass of your favorite white wine!  Don't forget to have a little fun with your table setting.  Go a little nautical with charts and linen,  mix and match dinnerware, or use your special seafood flatware. My driftwood centerpieces are simply "garbage" rope that I found at the beach in Pesadero and a collection of interesting driftwood.  Found the lantern at some hideaway antique store, could not resist it!  

Normally I am a red wine girl, but lately we've been adding a few more choices to our wine cellar.  Here's a quick list for a few of our new local California favorites.

Dry Creek 2010 Chardonnay $30.00

Nottingham Cellars 2010 MLR Chardonnay $28.00  (LOVE)

2011 Arneis from Seghesio  $22.00

Morning Fog Chardonnay from Wente $12.99 (delish bargain!)

Finestra - 2010 Pinot Gris $18.00

Compass Rose Glassware can be found at Caron's Beach House.

So can the fun fish flatware!