Grilled Clams with Sambuca and Italian Sausage

Source: Cooking Light

A vegetable grill grate can be used in place of the shellfish grate.

Or buy bigger clams to set directly on the grill rack.

4 ounces hot turkey Italian sausage (about 1/2 link)
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/2 teaspoon butter
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (1-ounce) slice day-old white bread
2 tablespoons Sambuca or Pernod (licorice-flavored liqueur)
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Dash of salt
36 littleneck clams, cleaned
6 lemon wedges

Remove casings from sausage. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add sausage; cook until browned, stirring to crumble. Add onion, peppers, butter, and garlic to pan; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Place bread in a food processor; pulse 5 times or until breadcrumbs form. Add breadcrumbs to sausage mixture; cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour Sambuca into one side of skillet. Ignite Sambuca with a long match, and let flames die down. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, pepper, and salt.

Prepare grill to high heat.

Shuck clams; discard any broken shells or shells that remain open. Place 12 clam halves on shellfish grate; discard top halves of shells. Top each with about 1 teaspoon breadcrumb mixture. Place grate on grill. Cover and cook 4 minutes or until clam juice in shells boils. Remove clams from grate; keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining clams and breadcrumbs. Serve with lemon wedges.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 6 clams and 1 lemon wedge)