Baked Stuffed Clams

There’s something about carbohydrates and garlic; they go well together. Think garlic bread, garlic knots from any New York pizzeria, and even my mashed potato pizza, fragrant with roasted garlic, mashed potatoes, fresh mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese. The carbs are a vehicle for the pungent flavor of the allium, cooked just enough to tame its raw burn.

Clams are another vehicle for garlic, and are even better if they are combined with carbohydrates. Whether eating garlicky spaghetti and clams (with bread to sop up leftover juices, of course) or these baked stuffed clams, the briny seafood pairs perfectly with garlic.

Stuffed clams come in at least two forms; clams oreganata, whole clams in half of their double shell, covered with seasoned breadcrumbs sometimes sitting in a garlicky breadcrumb broth, and chopped clams, mixed with breadcrumbs and seasoning, then stuffed back into empty shells. Both are delicious served with wedges of lemon to squeeze on top. In nicer restaurants on Long Island, where I live, it is more common to find the first type, while the latter is usually found as a prepared item at the fish monger to heat up at home. While I don’t prefer one over the other, when I make baked stuffed clams, I usually chop my clams and stuff them back into the shell.

The biggest problem with most baked stuffed clams is that the clam and breadcrumb filling, while tasty, is often soggy. Breadcrumbs sitting in liquid, no matter how flavorful it is with clam juice, white wine, and lemon juice, don’t make for a texturally pleasing bite despite a quick stop under a broiler to crisp up the top. Underneath, it’s a mushy mess. While many recipes call for panko breadcrumbs, which lighten up and dry out the filling a bit, I have two strategies to guarantee that my baked stuffed clams don’t end up sodden and sad.

First, I start with what are basically mini, homemade croutons in addition to a little panko. They don’t absorb much liquid and are therefore crispy, hold their shape, and do not become soggy, providing an airy crunch throughout.

Second, I prepare a thick sauce that will provide deep clammy and garlicky flavor, without adding too much liquid. To prepare it, I quickly steam the clams to open them with the secondary benefit of providing a useful, clammy broth. Once removed from their shells, the clams are chopped and sautéed with garlic, oregano, white wine, lemon juice, the clam broth, and a touch of hot sauce. They are then combined with the croutons, as well as grated Parmesan cheese, and stuffed back into cleaned shells. After a quick stop in the oven, these baked stuffed clams combine the best of all worlds: clams and garlic, with a crispy carbohydrate crunch.

Baked Stuffed Clams

The most difficult part of this recipe is getting the clam to crouton ratio correct. Once briefly steamed,  each clam does not contain much meat, and if diluted by too much bread, the result would still be delicious, but not very clammy in flavor. Thus, it pays to start with an additional half as many clams as you want to serve. Alternatively, you could substitute chopped canned clams to boost the concentration of bivalves in the mixture.

Hard shell clams come in different sizes. I recommend cherrystones or littlenecks for baked, stuffed clams. Chowders are too large, the meat somewhat tough, and are better suited for their namesake.

Makes about 1 dozen clams, 45 minutes, plus up to 2 hours to purge clams

18 cherrystone or littleneck clams

¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided

Italian bread or baguette, about 5 inches long, cut into approximately ¼-inch cubes

3 cloves garlic, crushed or finely minced

1 tsp dried oregano

¼ cup dry white wine

juice of 1 lemon, about 3 Tbsp.

15 drops Tabasco or other hot sauce

½ tsp. kosher salt

¼ cup panko breadcrumbs

⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Lemon wedges for serving

1. Clean the clams by scrubbing them and placing them in a bowl of cold salty water (about as salty as seawater, roughly ¼ cup salt per half gallon of water). Allow them to sit in the water for an hour or two to purge any sand. Discard clams that have not closed tightly.
2. Rinse clams and place them in a heavy pot with a ¼ inch of water on the bottom. Place over high heat and cover with a lid. Steam for a few minutes, just until the clams open. Remove from heat, allow to cool and reserve ½ cup of liquid, straining if necessary to remove any sand or sediment that may have collected on the bottom of the pot.
3. Heat ¼ cup of olive in a heavy skillet over medium, add bread cubes, and stir to coat. Cook, stirring frequently until lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside to cool.
4. Remove the clam meat from their shells and chop into ¼ to ½-inch pieces. Set aside.
5. Separate the two shells and clean them under running water, removing any small fragments. Dry and set aside until ready to stuff.
6. Preheat oven to 350 ^oF.
7. Using the same skillet in which the croutons were made, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and oregano and stir for a about a minute to soften but not brown. Stir in chopped clams and ¼ cup of reserved clam liquid. Add wine and reduce by half. Add lemon juice, hot sauce, and salt. Cook down until much of the liquid has evaporated and clams are coated with a thick sauce. Taste and adjust by adding more lemon, wine, or hot sauce, as needed. Set aside to cool.
8. Combine half the croutons with the clam mixture along with its sauce, panko, and grated Parmesan. It should be sticky, but not wet. Taste and mix in more croutons to get the clam to crouton ratio you desire. Using your hands, pack filling into clam shells and place on a sheet pan.
9. Place in oven and cook for 10-15 minutes until heated through and there are tiny bubbles of grease on the breadcrumbs. Serve hot with lemon wedges to squeeze over the top.

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