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Stuffed Clams made with freshly dug sweet clams make the perfect al fresco summer dinner. No worries if you live miles from the sea…freshly frozen clams are readily available and deliver the same tender and delicious goodness.
During the summer months in the north of Boston, our family’s fallback summer meal is my version of a classic stuffed clam. The menu is simple and quick to prepare leaving plenty of time to lounge at the beach.
Try this perfect al fresco dinner for your family and friends:
New England Deluxe Stuffed Clams, a salad made with veggies from the garden (or farmer’s market) and chilled watermelon for dessert.
New England Deluxe Stuffed Clams
Whether you’re lucky enough to dig for the clams yourself or buy at a local seafood shop, you’ll love this easy to assemble recipe. The stuffed clams can be made ahead of time and they freeze beautifully should you make extra.
When I can’t get them fresh, I’ve found them in a quart container in the frozen food section of my local supermarket. They were very good and definitely had been freshly frozen. By that I mean after thawing in the refrigerator they had a salty brine smell. Always a sign of fresh seafood.
NEW ENGLAND DELUXE STUFFED CLAMS
Ingredients:
1 cup onion, finely chopped
4 stalks celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup green or red pepper, finely chopped
4 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (plus more for garnish)
4 Tablespoons butter (plus more for topping, optional)
1 sleeve of Ritz crackers, finely crushed
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
finely grated rind of 1/2 lemon
2 Tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning, plus extra for garnish
salt & pepper, to taste
2 cups fresh clams, chopped, reserve juice
Optional: 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled OR 1/2 cup Chiorizo Sausage, cooked and crumbled.
Directions:
Note: I do all the chop preparations in a food processor because it’s quick and easy. I don’t wash it out in between layers of prep because it’s all going in the same place!
If using bacon or Chiorizo sausage, cook, let cool and crumble. Set aside. Note: If I use Chiorizo sausage I will remove the casing and pulse it in the food processor, and then cook it.
Finely chop onions, peppers, and celery OR place together in a food processor and pulse until chopped but not mushy. You want some texture.
In a large skillet saute vegetables in butter until translucent but not browned. Remove from stove.
In the food processor process Ritz crackers until fine. Then add approximately 2 slices of day old white bread and pulse.
If using the food processor, add clams and pulse until chopped but not mushy. Again you want some texture. Otherwise, chop clams, reserve any liquid.
To the pan, add bacon or chiorizo, if using, then add Ritz crumbs, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, lemon juice, lemon rind and Old Bay Seasoning. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Stir in chopped clams. Mixture should mold together. If you think it’s a bit dry, add in some of the reserved clam juice.
Scoop 1/4 – 1/2 cup of stuffing into cleaned out clam shells. This will depend on the size of your clam shells. Sprinkle top with Old Bay Seasoning and a small piece of butter, optional. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. Before serving, garnish the clams with finely chopped parsley, optional.
Casserole option: If not using clam shells, place in a greased 8-inch glass or ceramic casserole dish or pie plate. Bake as instructed.
Two years ago my husband gifted me with a recreational clamming license! Since then I’ve been an avid “tide watcher” and take any opportunity, when the tide is low, to dig for clams. Around here we are lucky to be able to harvest several varieties of clams — “steamers”, “little necks”, “razor” and “sea clams”.
My preference for this recipe is the large sea clams, also called “hen clams”, but any clams you use will be delicious. The sea clams are very meaty and I need to dig for less than steamers to get the same yield.
During the summer clamming season (I dig, the hubby shucks) I’ll chop and freeze clams in 1 cup containers to use all winter.
Nice clams!
One of the perks of clamming is the long walk onto the sandbar. It’s very peaceful and quiet, the sound of the ocean lapping at the shore brings a certain serenity to a busy life. My companions are usually some seagulls and sandpipers, also looking for dinner!
If you’ve never dug for clams and you get the chance, do it. It’s great fun for kids too. I’m a fairweather clammer! Digging for a dozen or so clams for dinner gives me a new appreciation for the hardworking professional clammers who do it all year.
See 10 Seafood and Pasta Recipes ready in 30 minutes
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