Broiled Clams With Tomatoes, Butter, and Tarragon Recipe
Tender clams and juicy tomatoes in a buttery, herbal sauce, all made in just one skillet. And you only need to turn the broiler on for a short time.

[Photographs: Vicky Wasik]
Sometimes flipping on the broiler for a few minutes is the fastest way to get dinner on the table without having to toil over a hot stove and flaming burners. Here, the broiler's intensity is used to quickly brown garlic in olive oil, burst tomatoes, and cook briny clams just until they pop open. Before you know it, dinner will be on the table.
Why It Works
- Purging the clams guarantees sandy ones won't ruin the dish.
- The broiler provides intense top-down heat, cooking the clams and other ingredients quickly with a minimum of fuss.
Read more: The Broiling Days of Summer: Buttery Clams With Burst Tomatoes
- Yield:Serves 2 as a light dinner or 4 as a first course
- Active time: 20 minutes
- Total time:20 minutes, plus about 1 hour purging
Ingredients
- Kosher or sea salt
- 1 dozen littleneck clams (about 1 pound)
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 8 ounces (225 grams) grape or cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup dry white vermouth (120ml)
- 2 tablespoons (30g) unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup tarragon leaves (about 5g)
- Crusty bread, for serving
Directions
-
1.
Fill a large bowl with cold water and stir in enough salt to make it salty like the sea. Add clams and let stand 20 minutes. Lift clams from water and discard purging water; if there is sand in the bottom of the bowl, rinse it out and repeat this process until clams no longer release sand into the water (usually 2 to 3 purging cycles).
-
2.
Turn on the broiler and position the top rack 4 to 6 inches from the broiler element. In a 9-inch cast iron pan, add the olive oil and garlic. Broil for about 2 minutes, until the garlic is slightly browned, but not burnt.
-
3.
Add the tomatoes and a large pinch of salt, tossing to coat. Broil until the tomatoes have burst and some of their juices have spilled into the pan, about 4 minutes.
-
4.
Add clams to the pan, nestling them between the tomatoes. Pour in the vermouth and add the butter in the center of the pan. Broil for 2 minutes, and then flip the clams, baste with the liquid and return to the broiler until all the clams have popped wide open, about 2 minutes longer (with an open-flame broiler, it's not impossible for the vermouth to briefly ignite; don't panic, just carefully blow out the flame and proceed). Broil for 1 additional minute after the last clam opens, then remove from broiler. Baste clams once more.
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5.
Pour the clams, tomatoes and all of the juices into a deep serving bowl. Garnish with the tarragon on top and let it stand for a 1 minute before eating so the anise-flavored herb has enough time to wilt and permeate the broth. Serve with crusty bread.
This Recipe Appears In
The Broiling Days of Summer: Buttery Clams With Burst TomatoesAll products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.
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