Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Seafood
- 12 cherrystone clams, live, tightly closed
Marinade and Aromatics
- 120 ml lime juice, freshly squeezed
- 15 g jalapenos, seeded and finely diced
- 50 g red onion, very thinly sliced
- 10 g fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- 5 g kosher salt
- 15 ml extra virgin olive oil, chilled
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 133 kcal
- Protein
- 15 g
- Carbohydrates
- 8 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 1088 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 1 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 30 mg
- Potassium
- 122 mg
- Calcium
- 49 mg
- Iron
- 1.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 24 mg
- Phosphorus
- 208 mg
- Zinc
- 0.6 mg
- Vitamin A
- 101 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 15 mg
- Vitamin E
- 1.5 mg
- Vitamin K
- 11 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 11.3 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.03 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.06 mg
- Niacin
- 0.5 mg
- Folate
- 13 mcg
- Water
- 123 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Scrub the clam shells thoroughly under cold running water. Using a clam knife, carefully open and shuck the clams over a fine mesh sieve placed in a bowl to catch the natural juices. Discard the shells.
Separate the soft clam meat from the tougher adductor muscles. Using a chef knife on a clean cutting board, roughly chop the clam meat into 1 centimeter pieces to ensure even curing.
In a non-reactive mixing bowl, combine the chopped clam meat, freshly squeezed lime juice, diced jalapenos, and half of the sliced red onion. Add 30ml of the reserved, strained clam juice. Stir well so the seafood is completely submerged in the liquid.
Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate at 4°C/39°F for exactly 2 hours. During this time, the citric acid will gently denature the clam proteins, effectively curing them and turning the meat slightly opaque.
Just before serving, stir in the remaining sliced red onion, chopped fresh cilantro, kosher salt, and extra virgin olive oil. Serve immediately in chilled shallow bowls, ensuring each portion gets a generous spoonful of the acidic marinade.
Chef's Notes
- Always maintain strict temperature control when handling raw seafood. Keep your clams buried in crushed ice before shucking to ensure maximum freshness and safety.
- Straining the reserved clam juice through a fine mesh sieve or coffee filter removes micro-grit and sand, allowing you to reincorporate a splash into the marinade for an intense boost of pure ocean flavor.
- When selecting cherrystone clams, ensure they are tightly closed and smell distinctly of the clean sea. Discard any that are cracked, remain open when tapped, or smell strongly of sulfur.
- To reduce the harsh, sulfurous bite of raw red onion, soak the onion slices in ice water for 10 minutes before draining and adding them to the ceviche mixture.
Storage
Refrigerator: 12 hours — Keep strictly refrigerated. Texture and flavor degrade rapidly after initial curing.
Troubleshooting
Clams are overly chewy or rubbery
Cause: Clams were left in the highly acidic marinade for too long, over-curing the delicate proteins
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Strictly adhere to the 2 hour marination time and serve immediately once the curing phase is complete
Dish tastes sharply metallic
Cause: The lime juice reacted with a metallic mixing bowl (like aluminum or unlined copper)
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Always use glass, ceramic, or high-quality stainless steel bowls when preparing acidic marinades
Cultural Context
Ceviche is a traditional coastal dish originating in the Americas, particularly Peru, where raw seafood is gently cured in fresh citrus juices. This variation substitutes classic white fish for the iconic New England cherrystone clam, bridging two distinct maritime culinary cultures. The bracing, bright acidity of the lime pairs exceptionally well with the naturally robust, salty-sweet profile of the quahog clam.
