We have all been there before: you work hard all day, and when you finally make it home, you are exhausted, and have the energy of a sloth, leaving no desire to cook. To make things more complicated, it is mid-July, and many of us would prefer to enjoy the warm, sunny days, and afternoon sunlight that lasts well into the dinner hour. Because of the time of year, days like this seem more like the norm, but never fear: you don’t have to subject yourself to a summer of take-out and top-ramen. The perfect at-home solution is cooking bivalves; better known as clams, mussels, oysters and scallops.

Cooking bivalves could possibly be the easiest and quickest quality dinner I can think of. Depending on the species and size, cook time ranges from 0-15 minutes. Of course, if you feel like getting a bit crazy, you can roast them, which adds a whopping 45 minutes. However, for the sake of this article, I will focus on a simple preparation, steaming. Since we are steaming, forget about oysters, (best served raw or roasted) and scallops (best served seared, roasted or raw). This leaves us with my favorite bivalves: mussels and the equally delicious clams.

Mussels and clams are great for quick summer meals for two important reasons: cost and taste. Most stores sell the average mussel for around $5-$8 lbs, and clams are only a few dollars more. Depending on what part of the country you live in, varieties will change, but the cooking method always remains the same. In a sauté pan with a lid, sauté your aromatics, such as shallots, garlic, and my favorite addition, bacon. When caramelized, toss in your bivalves with some white wine; cover and let steam. I like a 2:1 ratio of mussels to clams. After the shells open, remove them from the liquid, and finish the sauce in any way you see fit, but think: butter and herbs. Place the bivalves in a bowl, pour the sauce over them, slice some bread to soak up the sauce and you have your dinner.

A perfect complement to your simple fare is sparkling wine. Most everyone has a bottle of sparkling wine hanging around for some special occasion that usually never happens*; so dust it off, and pop the cork, because it is bivalve time. Champagne, Prosecco, Cava or any other domestic sparkling wine will do, but make sure it is a brut**. Sparkling wine is perfect because its delicate features and tight bubbles work fantastic with our tender pier lovers. Furthermore, after a day of fun in the sun, who feels like a Cabernet?

So grab a few handfuls of bivalves, a nice sparking wine and invite your friends over for some shelled delights.

* Please note, unless you are swimming in Benjamin’s, don’t open anything real special, try to keep it under $40.

** Avoid flavored sparkling wines, such as almond, orange, etc.

Wines to Consider

• Agrapart et Fils NV “Les 7 Crus”: great value champagne, but can be hard to find. Fantastic crisp, green apple flavors
• Roederer Estate Brut NV and Domaine Carneros Brut NV: two domestic sparkling wines that are produced by French champagne makers. They are both very good and affordable wines, with Roederer being fuller-bodied
• Drusian Prosecco: classic prosecco, with great mineral tones

View additional pairings ideas from Nick Benz.