Best Baked Stuffed Clams
Many years ago when we lived on Long Island, there was a shopping center a few blocks from our house. It was one of the last of the community designed shopping centers built by William Levitt. At one end was a local tavern with a rather large backroom which the owner had converted into a dining room, hiring a young chef and serving pretty good meals. With two babies in tow it was a great place to get an early dinner, as it was never busy until later in the evening.
I have always been a “baked clam junkie”and the baked clams here were the “best”. One night I asked the waitress if I could get the recipe for them from the chef. Fearing it was a competitor trying to steal his recipe he came out of the kitchen to question me. I told him that I thought his were the absolute best and that I had no plans to market them in another restaurant. Satisfied with my explanation he went back to the kitchen and on a kitchen dupe wrote the recipe. He said that he originally had gotten the recipe from the New York Times cook book. I eventually had to have the dupe laminated to preserve it and still have it in the recipe box. Since he made rather large quantities he didn’t provide amounts of ingredients just a broad view of what was in them and the process to prepare. It wasn’t hard to adapt the recipe to smaller quantities and has been a favorite of ours for many many years.
They make a great appetizer, or serving a couple they make a nice dinner, and occasionally to make them truly elegant I top them with Hollandaise sauce for a decadent treat. You can get fresh clams and open them yourself and save the shells to reuse, or use large scallop shells which are easier to find, or even place in ramekins, the choice is yours.
The amounts for the recipe are not written in stone. If you want to add more garlic feel free, a little more basil OK!, less clam liquor perfectly fine, it’s all about how the final dish tastes to you. Remember there are no baked clam police lurking outside your kitchen door.
Ingredients for Baked Stuffed Clams
- 4 Tbs butter
- 2 medium onions diced
- 3 stalks celery finely diced
- 3-4 cloves garlic finely diced
- 2 tsp each salt & pepper
- 2 Tbs dried basil
- 2 Tbs dried parsley
- 4 thin slices ham chopped (appox 1-1½ cups)
- 4 oz chopped pimientos
- ½ cup white wine
- 4 Tbs Parmesan cheese + more for topping
- 1 -3 cups Italian style bread crumbs
- 4 cans chopped clams with ½ the juice reserved
- Sliced lemon or lime
Directions for Baked Stuffed Clams
This recipe will make over 2 dozen stuffed clam shells or about 9-10 filled scallop shells.
In a large sauté pan melt the butter, add the onions, celery, garlic, salt and pepper and cook until the vegetables are wilted and the onions translucent.
Now add the ham , basil, parsley, pimientos and cook for about 2 -3 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and remove from the heat.
Empty into a large bowl when slightly cooled add the Parmesan and clams and juice.
Slowly add the bread crumbs until you have no liquid visible and the mixture is still fairly moist.
Spoon into shells. Sprinkle more Parmesan over the top of each. At this point you can cover and refrigerate until needed.
Heat oven to 425º place the shells on a sheet pan in the center of the oven and bake 10 – 15 minutes until cheese on top is melted and clams are hot.
Serve with wedges of sliced lemon or lime.
Here are a few items that can help make this recipe:
Harold Imports Natural Baking Shells Set of 4
Cuisinart 722-36H Chef’s Classic Stainless 14-Inch Open Skillet with Helper Handle
Not exactly Prime Rib, but every one else seems to like them. Tomorrow a little less surf and a lot more turf please!
Ingredients
- 4 Tbs butter
- 2 medium onions diced
- 3 stalks celery finely diced
- 3-4 cloves garlic finely diced
- 2 tsp each salt & pepper
- 2 Tbs dried basil
- 2 Tbs dried parsley
- 4 thin slices ham chopped (appox 1-1½ cups)
- 4 oz chopped pimientos
- ½ cup white wine
- 4 Tbs Parmesan cheese + more for topping
- 1 -3 cups Italian style bread crumbs
- 4 cans chopped clams with ½ the juice reserved
- Sliced lemon or lime
Instructions
- This recipe will make over 2 dozen stuffed clam shells or about 9-10 filled scallop shells.
- In a large sauté pan melt the butter, add the onions, celery, garlic, salt and pepper and cook until the vegetables are wilted and the onions translucent.
- Now add the ham , basil, parsley, pimientos and cook for about 2 -3 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and remove from the heat.
- Empty into a large bowl when slightly cooled add the Parmesan and clams and juice.
- Slowly add the bread crumbs until you have no liquid visible and the mixture is still fairly moist.
- Spoon into shells. Sprinkle more Parmesan over the top of each. At this point you can cover and refrigerate until needed.
- Heat oven to 425º place the shells on a sheet pan in the center of the oven and bake 10 - 15 minutes until cheese on top is melted and clams are hot.
- Serve with wedges of sliced lemon or lime.
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