Grilled Clams with Cocktail Butter. Credit: Kristin Teig
FOR THE CLAMS
Live topneck or littleneck clams or 48 Manila clams: 24 (well cleaned)
Unsalted butter: 225 g (melted)
FOR ARI KOLENDER’S COCKTAIL SAUCE
Heinz ketchup: 100 g
Prepared horseradish: 35 g
Dijon mustard: 18 g
Worcestershire sauce: 9 g
Vodka: 9 g
Fresh lemon juice: 6 g
“Clams are my favorite seafood in the world,” says cookbook author and chef Noah Galuten. Inspired by the famed grilled clams at The Place in Guilford, Connecticut, this version pairs smoky grilled shellfish with rich butter and a punchy cocktail sauce adapted from How to Cook the Finest Things in the Sea, Galuten’s cookbook with chef Ari Kolender.
(From Grill Time! by Noah Galuten. Copyright © 2026. Reprinted by permission of Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC)
- In a medium bowl, combine the ketchup, horseradish, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, vodka, and lemon juice.
- Whisk until well combined.
- Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Preheat the grill to high heat, then clean the grates well.
- Once the grill is hot, place half of the clams directly on the grill grates. Cook until they begin to open slightly, about 2–3 minutes, then transfer to a platter or baking sheet.
- When cool enough to handle, pry off and discard one shell from each clam. If needed, use a spoon or knife to loosen the meat from the shell.
- Top each clam with about 1 tsp cocktail sauce and melted butter.
- Return the clams to the grill in batches and cook until bubbling and lightly charred around the edges, about 1–2 minutes more.
- Serve immediately and repeat with the remaining clams.
