See the website recipe for BAKED CLAMS
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Here's an interesting take on Baked Clams. One can go the "normal" route and use a plain or seasoned Bread crumb stuffing or....
Jazz it up with a buttery Tomato Sauce!!
INGREDIENTS:
6 Vongole Clams (see important note below - each clam here will make 2 baked)
1 large clove of Garlic, diced very very fine
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil (or pommace oil)
1 Cup or more of Bread crumbs (plain or seasoned)
1/4 to 1/3rd stick Butter, melted (margarine can also be used) PLUS
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice (from concentrate or fresh Lemons)
small can of Tomato sauce
Salt & Pepper
Lemon slices/wedges
Tabasco or other hot sauce
NOTE ON CLAMS:
Here's the deal on clams. Vongole are very very small clams, get them fresh. In this case the smaller the better as they are more tender and less "chewy" than the larger Clams.
You CAN use those GIANT Clams if you want, I guess some people think they are getting SO MUCH MORE with big Clams. If you can't find Vongole or very small fresh clams, then follow this recipe as follows with an important deviation. When you are "steaming" the Clams so they will open, allow them to steam further until they are all the way open. Remove from heat, cool, then remove the Clam meat. Dice up very fine (with knife or scissors), and this is what you will add to the shells.
Large Clams ARE chewy, especially for Baked Clams, and basically are used to flavor broths & stews, and end up being chopped up anyways.
DIRECTIONS:
Rinse off the Clams. Put in saute pan with some Olive Oil, and on medium flame, shake around till they just begin to open. Remove from heat, transfer Clams to plate.
After they are cool to the touch, you can pry them open.
Make the stuffing. You can use Chicken Broth to add liquid to it if you have it, if not, that's okay.
To the Bread crumb mixture add the Garlic, Lemon juice and the melted Butter, stir. It should be like a thick paste. If it's too "crumbly" then add a touch of Water, or like I said, Chicken Broth. You DON'T want it soupy!!
Now for that Tomato Sauce mixture. To a small saute pan, add a small dash of Olive Oil, dashes of Salt & Pepper, and that other 1 Tablespoon of Butter. When the Butter has melted, add the Tomato sauce, stir. Set aside.
Remove the Clam meat from the shells, rinse off the shells to get rid of any lingering meat.
See that orange part of the Clam meat? It's very tough. With scissors, cut away and discard the orange part.
PREPARING THE CLAMS for baking:
Put the Clam shells into a pie or baking tin. Add a bit of water on the bottom of the pan, this will help steam/boil from the bottom of the shell.
Remember that each Clam will yield for 2 baked. So with scissors, cut each whole clam in half and place one half into each shell.
Top the Clams with the Bread crumb mixture and lightly press in.
NOTE: At this point you can refrigerate the stuffed Clams overnight or freeze for just a couple of days. Only use the Tomato sauce mixture right before baking.
Pour the Tomato sauce mixture over all the Clams.
Bake 350*F for about 30 min. (restaurant ovens are usually set to 500, so they will cook in half the time if you do so too-- however, as I am usually baking other things at 350, I generally use that as my go-to temperature)
Half way thru cooking, remove, and spoon some of the Tomato sauce over the Clams again.
When serving you can add the remaining Tomato sauce over all, or you can just melt a bit of Butter and drizzle over the finished product.
Plate with Lemon wedges and serve.
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