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

Before you start

Gather everything before you turn on the heat, because the cooking moves quickly once the clams go into the pan. Finely chop the garlic and keep it in a small bowl near the stove. Halve the cherry tomatoes, chop the parsley leaves, and grate the hard yellow cheese on a box grater.

Pat the raw prawns dry with paper towels and season them with a few pinches of black pepper. Scrub the clams under cold running water and discard any that stay open when tapped. Measure the white wine and cut the lemon into wedges. Keep the prawns refrigerated until the pan is ready, and do not leave them out of the fridge for more than 30 minutes before cooking.

Instructions

Garlic and butter base

1. 1Prep the garlic and seafood
   Finely chop the garlic cloves and set them aside. Halve the cherry tomatoes and chop the parsley leaves. Pat the prawns dry and season them with a few pinches of black pepper. Scrub the clams under cold running water and discard any that stay open when tapped. Grate the hard yellow cheese on a box grater and collect the shreds on a plate.
   Look for Garlic is finely minced, prawns are seasoned, and clams are scrubbed and closed.
   Tip Keep the prawns in the refrigerator until the pan is hot; they should spend no more than 30 minutes out of the fridge before cooking.

The butter has melted into a smooth, golden pool, and the chopped garlic sizzles softly and smells sweet and fragrant after about a minute. The garlic should be pale gold, never brown. Check that the heat is medium and that the wine is measured and ready to pour. Pour the wine in carefully, because it will bubble and steam right away, and watch that it simmers gently around the edges of the skillet. Once the wine is bubbling, the base is ready for the shellfish to go in.

Clams and prawns cooking

2. 2Build the garlic butter
   Melt the butter in the black cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped garlic and stir for about 1 minute, until it sizzles and smells fragrant but not browned. Pour in the white wine and let it come to a gentle bubble.
   Look for Butter foams, then the garlic sizzles and turns fragrant within about a minute.
   Tip Lower the heat if the garlic starts to brown, because browned garlic turns the sauce bitter.
3. 3Add the clams and prawns
   Place the clams in the pan in a single layer, cover the skillet, and cook for about 3 minutes, until the shells begin to open. Add the prawns and toss them with the sauce. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes more, until the prawns turn pink and curl and reach 145°F (63°C) in the thickest part. Pull out the clams as they open, and keep the rest of the sauce simmering.
   Look for Prawns are opaque pink and curled, and the clams have popped open.
   Safe temperature 145°F (63°C) internal temperature (shellfish)
   Tip Discard any clams that stay closed after cooking; they should not be eaten.

After about three minutes covered, several clams have started to open and show their pale edges, and the liquid is steaming and lightly bubbling. The prawns should turn from grey to opaque pink with curled tails as they toss in the sauce.

Look for prawns that reach 145°F (63°C) in the thickest part and clams that have popped open. Pull out each opened clam as it finishes so none of them overcook, and leave any that remain closed in the pan a little longer. The sauce should look loose and foamy but fully coat the shellfish.

Glossy sauce and finish

4. 4Reduce the sauce and finish
   Return the opened clams to the pan, or leave them in the sauce if already cooked, and let the liquid simmer until it reduces to a glossy sauce. Toss in the chopped parsley and the halved cherry tomatoes. Squeeze the lemon over the pan and toss once more.
   Look for The sauce coats the back of a spoon and looks glossy, not watery.
   Tip Add the parsley off the heat so it keeps its bright green colour and fresh flavour.
5. 5Serve with cheese
   Spoon the prawns and clams into shallow bowls with plenty of sauce. Finish each serving with a sprinkle of the grated hard yellow cheese and serve at once with crusty bread for the sauce.
   Look for Shells are open, prawns are pink, and the cheese softens slightly on the hot sauce.
   Tip Serve immediately while the shellfish is hot and the sauce is still glossy.

The liquid has simmered down until it coats the back of a spoon and looks shiny rather than thin or watery. The shellfish are glossy, the prawns are pink and curled, and the clams are open and tender. Add the parsley and tomatoes off the heat, then squeeze in the lemon juice and toss once. Check the seasoning and taste a spoonful of sauce before serving. The dish is ready when the parsley is bright green and the sauce tastes savory, bright and buttery at the same time.

Common mistakes

The most common mistake is cooking the garlic too hot. Garlic goes from fragrant to bitter in a few seconds, and browned garlic colours the sauce and spoils its clean flavour. Keep the heat at medium and stir constantly for the first minute. Another mistake is overcrowding the skillet with clams.

If they are piled up, the bottom ones steam unevenly and the top ones stay closed, so arrange them in a single layer. Overcooked prawns are also easy to produce: they turn rubbery after they curl tightly, so pull the pan off the heat once they are pink. Finally, do not serve clams that never opened; discard them after cooking rather than forcing them open, because they are not safe to eat.

How to tell it’s done

Prawns are done when they are opaque, pink and curled into a loose C shape, with no grey translucent centre. For food safety, the thickest prawn should reach 145°F (63°C) on an instant-read thermometer. Clams are done when their shells have opened and the flesh looks plump and firm.

Discard any clam that stays closed after cooking, or that has a broken shell before cooking. The sauce is ready when it has reduced by about a third, coats a spoon, and looks glossy. A good sign is that the bubbles get smaller and the liquid looks thicker as it simmers. Taste a little of the sauce before serving to check the balance of salt, lemon and garlic.

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