Grilled Clams with Chorizo White Wine Butter Sauce

Ingredients

340 g littleneck or venus clams
450 g ground chorizo
2 shallots, sliced
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1½ cups dry white wine
1½ teaspoons smoked paprika
3 cloves garlic, minced
110 g butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
French baguette, sliced 2.5 cm thick on the diagonal

Preparation

1. Put clams in a bowl of cold water and let stand at least 30 minutes to an hour. Remove the clams one by one, scrub free of dirt and place in a colander. Rinse one more time with cold water.
2. On the side burner of the your grill, heat a small drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat in a heavy bottomed skillet. Add the chorizo and cook until cooked through, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the chorizo and leave approximately 2 tablespoons of the chorizo fat in the pan.
3. Add shallots and sauté for 2 minutes. Add in the white wine, tomatoes, smoked paprika, garlic, unsalted butter, salt and pepper. Let simmer for 8 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, preheat the grill to 200°C. Add the clams and cook for about 6 minutes, until the shells pop open. As they open, remove from the grill grate and toss into the sauce simmering on the side burner. (Note: if a clam doesn’t open up, toss it, it’s no good!)
5. When all of the clams are removed, lay the slices of baguette on the grill to warm up and get extra crispy around the edges, approximately 1 minute per side.
6. When all of the clams are in the sauce, stir to coat. Serve with grilled bread or even on top of a plate of linguine.
7. Enjoy!