Chilean
Machas a la Parmesana
Tender Chilean surf clams broiled with white wine, butter, and Parmesan until bubbling, springy, and delicately golden.
4 servings · 35 minutes prep · 4 minutes cook
Ingredients
Machas
- 24 whole, about 4 lb in the shell, Live, with tightly closed or responsive shells
- 2 quarts, For purging
- 1/2 cup, Diamond Crystal; for the purging water only
Topping and serving
- 1/2 cup, Dry Chilean white wine, preferably Sauvignon Blanc
- 4 tbsp, Chilled and cut into 24 equal pieces
- 2/3 cup, Finely grated
- 1 medium lemon, about 5 oz, Cut into 8 wedges
Directions
Purge and clean the machas
- Dissolve kosher salt in the cold water in a nonreactive {{tool:large-bowl}}. Add the live machas and refrigerate for 30 minutes so they can expel loose sand. Do not extend the soak beyond 1 hour.
- Lift the machas out of the water instead of pouring them through it, leaving the settled sand behind. Scrub the shells under cold running water. Discard any cracked clam and any open clam that does not close when firmly tapped, then refrigerate the remaining machas until shucking.
- Working with each clam securely wrapped in a folded {{tool:clean-kitchen-towel}}, insert a {{tool:clam-knife}} between the shells near the hinge. Keep the blade against the inside of the upper shell and sever the adductor muscles; open the shell, then free the meat from the lower shell.
- On a {{tool:cutting-board}}, use a {{tool:chef-knife}} to trim away the dark viscera and feathery gills, retaining the firm pink or cream-colored muscular meat. Rinse it very briefly in cold water and blot dry. Lightly tap each piece two or three times with the flat side of the knife or a small meat pounder, just until evenly flattened to about 1/4 inch (6 mm). Do not mash or tear it.
- Rinse 24 deep shell halves thoroughly and dry them. Return one piece of macha meat to each shell and refrigerate the filled shells while the broiler heats.
Assemble
- Position an oven rack 5–6 inches (13–15 cm) below the {{tool:broiler}} element. Heat the broiler on high, approximately 500–550°F (260–290°C), for at least 10 minutes. Crumple a large sheet of {{tool:aluminum-foil}} over a {{tool:rimmed-baking-sheet}}, forming shallow hollows that will hold the shells level.
- Arrange the filled shells snugly in the foil. Spoon 1 tsp (5 ml) dry white wine over each macha. Place one piece of unsalted butter, about 1/2 tsp (2.3 g), on each, then divide the parmigiano reggiano evenly among the shells, about 2.5 g per shell. Do not add seasoning salt; the machas and cheese provide sufficient salinity, and the purging salt is not part of the finished dish.
Broil and serve
- Broil for 2–4 minutes, watching continuously. Wearing {{tool:oven-mitts}}, rotate the pan after about 90 seconds if the broiler heats unevenly. The machas are done when the wine and butter are actively bubbling, the cheese is melted with scattered pale-golden spots, and the meat is opaque throughout but still moist and springy. The thickest pieces should register 145°F (63°C) on an {{tool:instant-read-thermometer}}. Remove individual shells promptly if they finish first; deeply browned cheese usually means the clam beneath it is overcooked.
- Transfer the shells immediately to a {{tool:serving-platter}}, keeping them level so the wine-butter juices remain inside. Serve piping hot with the lemon wedges for squeezing.
