Mussel and Clam Sauté

To prepare the mussel and clam sauté, start first by cleaning the mollusks. To clean the mussels, place them in a large bowl, then rinse them well under fresh running water 1. With a firm motion, manually remove the beard, or byssus, protruding from the shells 2 (to facilitate this operation, you can grasp the byssus with a cloth). Always under water, scrub the mussels vigorously using a steel wool pad (or a stiff brush) to remove any impurities 3.

To clean the clams, wash them under running water 4 and check, by tapping each one on a cutting board, that there is no sand inside them 5. Cut the cherry tomatoes into wedges 6 and chop the parsley sprig.

After thoroughly cleaning the mollusks, let them open by placing the mussels in a pot 7 and then the clams 8. Cover with a lid and cook over high heat to open the shells 9.

As soon as all the mollusks have opened 10, separate the mussels and clams from the cooking liquid using a fine-mesh strainer 11. Set aside the cooking liquid. In a pan, pour the oil and squeeze three cloves of garlic 12.

Sauté for a few moments and add the previously diced cherry tomatoes 13, let them brown for 1-2 minutes over low heat, then pour in the reserved cooking liquid from the mollusks 14. During cooking, season to taste with ground pepper 15.

Finally, add the mussels and clams and allow them to briefly soak in the sauce 16. Add the chopped parsley 17. Turn off the heat 18 and serve the mussel and clam sauté hot, possibly accompanied by slices of toasted bread.