Garlic Butter Clams and Prawns in White Wine Skillet Tips, FAQ & printable recipe

Tips for success

Start with cold seafood and a hot pan. Chill the prawns until the last moment and drain any water from the clams before they go in, because excess liquid dilutes the garlic butter and slows the reduction. Keep the heat at medium once the wine goes in so the sauce reduces evenly without spattering.

Serve the dish directly from the cast iron skillet while the sauce is still bubbling. The skillet keeps the butter hot at the table, so the last spoonfuls stay glossy. Place a folded towel or trivet under the pan so the handle is safe to touch, and warn guests that the pan is very hot before they reach for the tongs.

Variations

• Cherry tomato version: Add a larger handful of halved cherry tomatoes with the prawns so they soften into the sauce and release their juices. Let them cook until blistered before you add the cheese, for a sweeter, fresher finish.
• Chili flakes version: Stir a pinch of red chili flakes into the melted butter with the minced garlic. The heat blooms in the fat and gives the golden sauce a gentle warmth that pairs well with the sweet prawns and clams.
• Lemon finish: Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the finished skillet just before serving. The acidity cuts through the butter and cheese and brightens the flavour of the clams and prawns without changing the method.
• Shrimp swap: Use raw shrimp of the same size in place of the prawns, peeled and deveined. Cook them the same way, laying them over the clams until they turn pink and opaque all the way through.

Storage and make-ahead

Fridge

Store cooked clams and prawns in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and eat them within 1 day.

Reheat

Reheat gently in a covered skillet over low heat with a splash of water or broth, just until warm, to avoid toughening the seafood.

Clams and prawns are best eaten the day they are cooked, while the shells are open and the prawns are tender. If you have leftovers, let them cool for no more than 2 hours at room temperature, then move the clams, prawns and sauce into a shallow airtight container. Remove any clams that did not open before storing.

Keep the container in the refrigerator and eat the leftovers within 1 day, because shellfish loses its texture quickly. Do not leave the dish out on the counter during serving for longer than 2 hours, and divide any extra portions into smaller containers so they cool faster.

The garlic butter sauce can be prepared a few hours ahead, which removes the most time-consuming part of the method.

Mince the garlic, grate the cheese, chop the parsley and chives, and store each in its own container in the refrigerator. Keep the cleaned clams and the peeled, deveined prawns chilled on separate plates lined with paper towels.

When you are ready to cook, melt the butter, add the garlic and wine, and follow the steps as usual. The cooked seafood should always be cooked fresh rather than stored and reheated, so do not start the clams or prawns until your guests are ready to eat.

Serving ideas

Serve the clams and prawns hot, straight from the skillet, with the golden garlic butter spooned over the top. Put a bowl or a small plate beside the pan for the empty clam shells, and set out extra napkins, because the dish is best eaten with the fingers. Offer a few lemon wedges so each person can add a little brightness to the sauce.

Crusty bread is the natural companion for this dish, because it soaks up the garlic butter and the wine reduction that pool at the bottom of the skillet.

A simple green salad with a sharp vinaigrette or a glass of chilled dry white wine complements the sweetness of the prawns and the richness of the cheese, and keeps the meal light enough to enjoy in full.

Frequently asked questions

Recipe card

Garlic Butter Clams and Prawns in White Wine Skillet

Prep 15 minCook 12 minTotal 27 minServes 4

Ingredients

• 2 lb fresh clams, scrubbed
• 1 lb raw prawns, peeled and deveined
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 6 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup hard cheese, finely grated
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
• kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.

Contains: crustaceans, mollusks, milk, sulfites

Estimated nutrition per serving

Calories

420

Protein

36 g

Carbohydrates

8 g

Fat

26 g

Fiber

1 g

Sugar

1 g

Sodium

780 mg

Automatic estimate from the ingredient list, not laboratory-verified.