Charcoal-Grilled Clam and Shishito Skewers

Proving that virtually any ingredient can be threaded on a skewer, the Charcoal-Grilled Clam Yakitori leans into the Japanese technique for this seafood entrée, which combines littleneck clams with shishito peppers, eggplant and shiitake mushrooms. Developed by Ryan Whitten, culinary director of Restaurant Associates, a division of Compass Group, for sites such as Bloomberg’s Manhattan headquarters, the dish features a tamari glaze, a cilantro-chile crunch and a finish of toasted almonds. It is served with a kelp salad, going all in on a seaside sensibility.

It’s a combination of the basic simplicity of the ingredients, plus the smoky flavor characteristics of charcoal grilling that make the dish a satisfying bite, says Whitten, also crediting “the vegetal crunch of the cilantro stems in the relish” for flavor punch. While the ingredients may seem simple, the nuances of their preparation have impact. For example, to apply tamari glaze at every turn of the skewers, Whitten uses rosemary sprigs as brushes, imparting additional subtle flavor notes. “The charred edges of the clams on the grill and the tamari in the sauce harmonize together in a beachy-vibe situation,” Whitten notes.

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