Making Venetian Vongole e Cozze (Clams and Mussels) with Ginger Broth
Recently, a new fishmonger opened in my neighborhood and when I saw that he had fresh clams and mussels, I immediately thought back to our indulgent Christmas dinner in Venice. Figuring that mussels would be a great addition to the dish, I promptly bought some of each to make my own version of our favorite dish from that meal. Mussels and clams are super simple to prepare – simply cook your aromatics in oil, add a liquid, then add your mollusks and cook until they open! I added some garlic in with the ginger at the beginning (because garlic makes everything better). You could certainly add in some onion or shallot as well if you’re a big allium fan. For the liquid, I used an easy drinking Grüner Veltliner that we had on hand – which we enjoyed with the meal as well! Of course, if I really had my stuff together, I would have made and served this with a northern Italian white, such as a Friuli Pinot Grigio. Maybe next time! Sam and I enjoyed the clams and mussels with some excellent sourdough focaccia and some seared summer squash. It was a perfect meal!
Recipe for Venetian Vongole e Cozze
1 pound clams
1 pound mussels
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 inch knob of ginger, finely chopped or grated
1 cup dry white wine
1 lemon
1-2 tablespoons butter
1 handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped
Crusty bread for serving
Check to make sure that all your clams and mussels are alive (shells should be closed or stay closed when you press the halves together). Discard any that are dead.
Rinse clams and mussels in cold water and drain in a colander. Scrub the dirt/sand off of any particularly dirty shells.
Heat a deep sauté pan over medium heat. Add olive oil, garlic and ginger and cook until garlic begins to turn golden brown (the garlic and ginger should be mouth wateringly fragrant at this point). Add the white wine and bring to a simmer, then add the clams and cook until they open.
As they open, transfer the clams into your serving bowl (keep the bowl covered to retain the heat). Once the clams are cooked, pour in the rest of the wine and bring to a simmer. Add the mussels, once again transferring them to the serving bowl as they open.
Once all the mussels and clams are cooked, turn off the heat and stir in the juice from half of the lemon and the butter. Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper as necessary. Pour the sauce over the clams and mussels and garnish with parsley. Serve with a few lemon wedges and crusty bread (to mop up all that tasty sauce!).
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