Garlic Butter Clams and Prawns in White Wine Skillet Step-by-step instructions

Before you start

Gather everything before you turn on the heat, because the dish moves quickly once the clams go in. Scrub the clams under cold running water and discard any with cracked shells or that stay open when tapped. Peel and mince the garlic finely, halve the cherry tomatoes, and grate the hard cheese on a box grater so it is fluffy and ready to sprinkle. Chop the parsley and chives.

Peel and devein the prawns, pat them dry with a paper towel, and keep them cold in the refrigerator until the pan is hot. Set out the tongs, a small saucepan for the wine if you measure it there, and a serving plate or bowl near the stove. Raw shellfish should stay refrigerated until cooking; never leave it out at room temperature for more than 30 minutes.

Instructions

Clams open in the sauce

1. 1Prepare the garlic and cheese
   Scrub the clams under cold running water and discard any with cracked shells. Peel and finely mince the garlic. Halve the cherry tomatoes, grate the hard cheese on the small holes of a box grater, and chop the parsley and chives. Keep the prawns in the refrigerator until the pan is hot.
   Look for Minced garlic and a fluffy pile of grated cheese, all ready beside the stove.
   Tip Mince the garlic just before cooking so it stays bright and does not turn bitter.
2. 2Build the garlic butter
   Heat a 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat and melt the butter. Add the minced garlic and stir for about 1 minute until fragrant. Pour in the white wine and let it bubble and reduce by about half, until the sauce turns golden and smells sweet and fragrant.
   Look for The wine bubbles down into a golden, fragrant butter sauce.
   Tip Keep the heat at medium so the garlic toasts gently without browning.

The butter has melted and the minced garlic is fragrant but still pale gold, not brown. After you pour in the white wine, it should bubble steadily and reduce by about half, leaving a glossy golden sauce that smells sweet and boozy. Check that the garlic has not darkened or caught on the bottom of the skillet. If it looks dark or smells sharp, lower the heat and wipe the pan before you add the seafood, because scorched garlic will spoil the whole sauce.

Prawns cook until pink

3. 3Open the clams
   Add the clams to the hot wine and butter in a single layer. Cover the skillet and cook for 4 to 6 minutes, shaking the pan now and then, until most of the clams have opened. Discard any clams that stay closed after cooking.
   Look for Most clam shells have popped open and the sauce is steaming.
   Tip Cover the pan so the steam opens the shells evenly and quickly.
4. 4Cook the prawns
   Arrange the prawns over the clams in one layer, season lightly with salt and pepper, and scatter in the cherry tomatoes. Cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the prawns turn pink and curl and the flesh is opaque all the way through.
   Look for Prawns are pink, curled and opaque, and the tomatoes start to soften.
   Safe temperature 145°F (63°C) internal temperature (shellfish)
   Tip Cut into the thickest prawn to confirm the centre is no longer translucent.

The clams should be mostly open and the sauce steaming under the lid. Shake the pan gently to check that the shells move freely and discard any clams that stay firmly closed after cooking. When you add the prawns, they should begin to turn pink at the edges within a minute and curl into a loose C shape.

Before you move on, cut into the thickest prawn and make sure the flesh is opaque all the way through, with no translucent centre, and that the tomatoes have softened slightly in the sauce.

Final Glaze and Plating

5. 5Finish with cheese and herbs
   Sprinkle the grated hard cheese over the seafood and let it melt into the sauce for about 1 minute. Scatter the chopped parsley and chives over the top and taste the sauce for salt and pepper.
   Look for The cheese has melted into the sauce and the herbs are bright green.
   Tip Add the cheese off the most intense heat so it melts without turning greasy.
6. 6Toss and serve hot
   Use tongs to toss the prawns and clams gently in the bubbling garlic butter so each piece is coated. Serve the dish hot, straight from the skillet, with plenty of the golden sauce spooned over the top.
   Look for Everything glistens in bubbling golden sauce.
   Tip Serve with crusty bread to soak up every drop of the garlic butter.

Every ingredient is evenly coated, fragrant and progressing at a steady gentle sizzle without sticking to the pan surface. Take a moment to check the color, texture and aroma before moving on to the next stage.

Common mistakes

The most common mistake is overcooking the seafood. Clams that stay in the pan too long toughen and become rubbery, and prawns that cook past the moment they turn pink and curl become dry and chewy, so take them off the heat as soon as they are done. Another frequent error is burning the garlic: keep the heat at medium and stir the minced garlic constantly so it turns fragrant without browning.

Adding the cheese too early can make it clump or turn greasy, so sprinkle it only at the end. Finally, do not crowd the pan. If the clams are piled on top of each other, the shells will not open evenly and some will stay closed. Use a 12-inch skillet and arrange everything in as close to one layer as possible.

How to tell it’s done

The clams are done when most shells have opened wide and the meat inside looks plump and opaque. Discard any clam that stays closed after cooking, and any that smells strongly unpleasant. The prawns are done when they are pink on the outside, curled into a loose C shape, and opaque all the way through, with no translucent centre when you cut into the thickest one.

For food safety, the prawns must reach an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C). Once both are done, the sauce should be glossy and golden, and the cheese should have melted into it, leaving the herbs bright green on top.

• Shellfish: 145°F (63°C) in the thickest part