Baked Egg Custard with Clams – A Cozy, Savory Dish You’ll Love

Let me tell you about a dish that looks fancy but is actually really simple to make at home. It’s baked egg custard with clams. I know, it might be new to you. But trust me, it’s warm, silky, and full of flavor.

First, we need fresh clams for this recipe. To get rid of the sand inside them, take a big bowl and fill it with water. Add a good pinch of salt and a small drizzle of cooking oil. Then drop the clams in. This little trick makes the clams breathe harder, so they push out any sand still hiding in their shells. Let them sit for 30 minutes, then give them a good rinse. 

After that, put the clams in a pot with a little water and a small splash of whisky. Cover the pot and turn up the heat. In just a few minutes, the clams will start to pop open. Some will open faster than others, so it helps to take out the open ones as you go. Keep cooking the rest until they open up, too. If any clams stay closed even after a few more minutes, throw those away , they’re not good to eat.

Now, even after all that cleaning, you might still find a little bit of sand inside some shells. No worries. Just rinse those clams under running water until they are clean.

To get a smooth and silky custard, there are two small steps that make a big difference.

First, after you whisk the eggs, you’ll notice some foam on top. Just skim that foam off with a spoon and throw it away. Second, after mixing the chicken stock with the egg, pour the egg mixture through a fine sieve or a strainer. This catches any bits of egg that didn’t fully mix and also removes as many air bubbles as possible. These two tricks take less than a minute, but they give you that nice, soft custard texture.

Give this recipe a try, and then come back to let me know in the comments how it turned out for you. Did you love that garlic chili butter? Or maybe you tried it with a little twist of your own? I’d love to hear about it.

Custard Egg With Clams In Garlic Butter Sauce

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Prep Time 40 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Servings 2 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh clams
• 2 tsp salt (for soaking)
• 1 tsp cooking oil (for soaking)
• 1 cup water (for cooking)
• 1 tbsp whisky

egg custard

• 4 large eggs
• 200 ml chicken stock (salted)

garlic chili butter sauce

• 30 g salted butter
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• ¼ tsp chili powder
• coriander (for garnishing)

INSTRUCTIONS

• Fill a big bowl with water. Add 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of cooking oil. Stir lightly. Drop the fresh clams into the water. Let them sit for 30 minutes. The salt and oil make the clams breathe harder, so they push out any sand hiding inside their shells.
• After 30 minutes, rinse the clams under running water until the water is clear.
• Put the clams into a pot. Add 1 cup of water and a tbsp of whisky.
• Cover the pot with a lid and turn the heat to medium-high.
• In about 3–5 minutes, the clams will start to pop open. Some will open faster than others.
• As soon as a clam opens, take it out with tongs and set it aside. Keep cooking the rest until they all open.
• If any clams stay closed after a few more minutes, throw them away. They are not safe to eat.
• Check the cooked clams for any remaining sand. If you see sand, rinse each clam under running water until it's clean.
• Arrange the clams in the baking dish, and preheat your oven to 356°F (180°C).
• Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl, skim off any foam with a spoon. Throw the foam away.
• Mix the chicken stock with the egg until fully blended. The recipe calls for salted chicken stock; add salt to taste at this stage if you are using unsalted chicken stock.
• Place a fine-mesh sieve or strainer over the baking dish and pour the egg mixture slowly through the sieve; this catches any egg bits and removes air bubbles. The clams should be partly covered but still peeking out.
• Cover the dish with aluminum foil. And bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
• Check the custard after 15 minutes. It should be set around the edges and slightly jiggly in the center. It should not look watery or runny.
• While the custard bakes, melt the butter in a small pan over medium low heat.
• Once the butter has melted completely, add the minced garlic and chili powder (add a pinch of salt if you are using unsalted butter), cook for about 1 minute, stirring often, until the garlic smells fragrant.
• Drizzle the warm garlic chili butter sauce over the top of the custard and clams.
• Garnish with coriander.

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