Stuffed clams are always on my table at Christmas Eve. To me they are the perfect bite, garlic, clam, parsley and cheese in a crunchy breadcrumb stuffing. Shucking the clams are the hardest part of this whole recipe. It takes some practice and patience but if you do not want to be bothered you can have the fish monger do it for you!
This dish is a Christmas Eve standard for my family.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword clams, seafood, stuffed clams
Servings 24clams
Equipment
shucking knife
Ingredients
2dozenLittle Neck Clams
4Garlic Cloves, minced
1/4cupFresh Parsley, Chopped
1/3cupGrated Pecorino Romano
1/4tspBlack Pepper
3/4cupPlain Breadcrumbs
3tbspExtra Virgin Olive Oil and more for Drizzling
Clam Juice from clams, strained
Instructions
Place the clams in a bowl, cover with water and add a tbsp of salt. Let it sit for 1 hour so they release their sand. Rinse the clams well to remove all the sand.
To a bowl, add breadcrumbs, garlic, grated cheese, parsley, and black pepper. Drizzle with a few tbsp of olive oil and mix well. Set aside.
Shuck the clams over a bowl to catch any juices that drip out. Detach the clam from the top shell, remove the top part of the shell and discard. Place on a baking sheet.
Strain the juice from the bowl. Add the clam juice to the stuffing 1 tbsp at a time until the stuffing resembles wet sand.
Stuff the clams over the stuffing bowl. Do not compact the stuffing too much. Drizzle the clams with olive oil before baking.
Bake the clams at 425℉ (on convection if possible) for 10 mins. Turn the broiler on at the end to toast the tops. Drizzle with more olive oil when they come out of the oven. Serve immediately.