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Clams Steamed in Aluminum Foil

Clams steamed in foil with celery, onion, bell pepper, garlic, parsley, thyme, and lemon.

From the Wikibooks Cookbook · 8 ingredients
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Why it works: Parsley and thyme match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 9,057 recipes. Both carry cuminaldehyde, which smells Spicy, cumin. The science ↓

Clams Steamed in Aluminum Foil

Serves 18
Oven450°F (230°C)
Time15–25 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

  1. Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C).

  2. Clean clams.

  3. Cut out four 18‑inch aluminum foil squares.

Make the pockets

  1. Make the squares into double foil pockets and put ingredients in them.

  2. Fold the edges so there is plenty of space for the clams to open.

  3. Tightly fold the edges several times to close the pockets.

Bake and serve

  1. Bake for 15–25 minutes.

  2. Eat right out of the foil or empty onto plate.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

201Calories
27 gProtein
1 gFat
23 gCarbs
What these numbers assume: 8 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Shrimp100g cooked99
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Bell Pepper1 medium (119g)31
Lemonjuice of 1 lemon (48ml)12
Celery Stalks1 stalk (40g)6
Garlic1 clove (3g)4
Thyme1 tsp dried (1.4g)4
Parsley1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g)1

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Wikibooks Cookbook.

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Parsley + thymetop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together9,057 recipes

    Shared aroma: cuminaldehyde (Spicy, cumin).

  2. Onion + garlictop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together29,058 recipes

    Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).

  3. Celery + parsleytop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together6,810 recipes

    Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).

  4. Pepper + parsleytop 2% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together34,122 recipes

    Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).

  5. Clove + thymetop 2% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together4,108 recipes

    Shared aroma: cuminaldehyde (Spicy, cumin).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Clams
Main protein that opens and releases its juices to steam the dish.
Celery
Adds aromatic flavor and a crisp, savory base as it softens.
Onion
Builds a savory, aromatic base as it softens in the steam.
Garlic
Contributes pungent aroma that mellows and sweetens during cooking.
Lemon
Adds acidity that brightens the flavor of the steamed clams.

The step that matters

Tightly fold the edges to close the pockets. A loose seal lets steam escape, so the clams may cook unevenly or not open fully. Sealing the foil traps moist heat around the shellfish, which cooks them through and opens the shells.

Swap the clove

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (clam, celery, onion, pepper, garlic, parsley, thyme):

  1. Marjoramfits better
  2. Oreganofits better
  3. Winter savoryfits better
  4. Clovethe original

Fit is the average pairing score against clam, celery, onion, pepper, garlic, parsley, thyme. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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