Clams with Grilled Chorizo & Charred Tomatoes

Author Notes

When foggy July days in San Francisco make me nostalgic for New England summers, this recipe does the trick. Best at the height of summer, when the cherry tomatoes are bursting with flavor. I first made this for a "grill mania" themed cooking club, so more steps than necessary are done on the grill. You could certainly prepare the whole thing with broiler and stovetop, or just do the last step on the stovetop, but if you want an excuse to spend more time outside, go for the grill! - Ms. T —Ms. T

Test Kitchen Notes

Ms. T’s recipe gives a brilliant summer spin to a classic Mediterranean pairing. By taking things outside to the grill, cherry tomatoes at their peak become smoky-sweet flavor bombs, a perfect foil to the salty chorizo and boozy, briny clams. This is a wonderful recipe for celebrating the last days of summer; not at all fussy, it points you in the right direction, while still leaving room for personal interpretation. Take the clams for instance. Since she does not specify how many clams to use, and I was cooking for two, I used a pound of Manila clams and only one chorizo sausage instead of two (which added enough salt that I did not need to add any more). I also used tarragon, dill and Italian parsley, the herbs I had on hand, with deliciously aromatic and flavorful results. I highly recommend grilling up some extra bread; you will want to sop up every drop. This is an excellent recipe! - gingerroot —gingerroot