Colombo Curried Grilled Clams

With grilling season solidly upon us, we are serving up steaks, burgers, chicken and vegetables with wild abandon. But how about seafood? Salmon, tuna and other meaty pieces are perfect for grilling, and if you haven't considered clams maybe you should.

Hard shell clams are very easy to prepare on the grill and are rich in iron and Omega 3's and per serving have roughly as much lean protein as chicken.  1 serving of littleneck clams is 3oz without the shells or about 12 small clams with the shells. A pound of littleneck clams should have about 8-12 clams.

There is some prep work when using clams. Rinse them in cool water and gently scrub the outer shell to release any residual dirt or sand. If any of the clams are open, tap them and they should close up. If not, toss them, as they are not good. I also let the clams hang out in a bowl of salted water for about 3 hours prior to cooking. Remove the clams and discard the water before use.

Colombo powder does not get its subtle heat from chiles like most curry powders, but instead from brown mustard and black pepper. The result is a sharper flavor with less heat than more traditional Indian curries. Our Colombo Powder is hand blended from coriander, fenugreek, turmeric, brown mustard, black pepper, cumin, cloves and long grain white rice (as a thickener).

This recipe would work well as an appetizer or served with a salad or grilled vegetables as a main dish.