Baked Clams Casino Recipes

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until crisp and golden, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a plate. Add the bell pepper, shallots, garlic, and oregano to the same skillet and saute until the shallots are tender and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until it is almost evaporated, about 2 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and cool completely. Stir the reserved pancetta and 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese into the vegetable mixture. Season the mixture, to taste, with salt and pepper.
• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
• Line a heavy large baking sheet with foil. Arrange the clams in the reserved shells on the baking sheet. Spoon the vegetable mixture atop the clams, dividing equally and mounding slightly. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan. Bake until the clams are just cooked through and the topping is golden, about 10 minutes.
• Arrange the clams on the platter and serve.

Steps:

• For the clams: Add the clams to a large pot or large saute pan with a lid. Add 1/2 cup water and cover the pan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and steam until the clams open, 6 to 10 minutes. Discard any clams that do not open. Reserve 1/4 cup clam juice.
• When they are cool enough to handle, remove the empty top shells of each clam and use your fingers to gently pull the clams from the bottom shell; reserve the bottom shells. Finely chop the clams and reserve.
• Cook the bacon in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until well crisp and rendered, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate using a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the pan (if the pan seems dry, add a touch of oil). Add the shallots, peppers, a pinch of salt and the crushed red pepper flakes and cook until soft and starting to caramelize, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme to the pan and cook until the raw-garlic flavor is gone and the shallots are sweet, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Add the oregano leaves to bloom, then deglaze with the wine and 1/4 cup reserved clam juice and cook until the mixture is reduced by about 80 percent, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the bacon and parsley to combine. Place the bacon mixture in a bowl over an ice bath, stir in the butter and clams and cool slightly until just warm. Taste the mixture and season with salt.
• For the breadcrumbs: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Put the panko, crushed garlic clove and a pinch of salt in dry skillet over medium heat and toast, stirring and tossing constantly till lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer the panko mixture to a bowl and stir in the extra-virgin olive oil, pepper flakes and parsley with a fork. Discard the crushed garlic clove.
• Stuff each clam shell generously with about 1 tablespoon of the clam mixture and sprinkle with enough breadcrumbs to coat, pressing lightly so the breadcrumbs stick. Place the stuffed clams on a metal tray or cast-iron pan. Bake until hot and golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.

Steps:

• In a small skillet, cook bacon until crisp over medium heat. Crumble, and set aside.
• Wash clams. Place on a baking sheet. Heat in a preheated 350 degree F (175 degree C) oven for 1 to 2 minutes, or until clams open. Discard any that do not open. Remove meat from shells. Chop, and set aside.
• Add 2 tablespoons oil and butter to a small skillet, and place pan over medium heat. Add onion, pepper, and garlic; saute until tender. Remove from heat, and cool.
• In a medium bowl, combine bread crumbs, bacon, oregano, cheese, sauteed vegetables, and chopped clams. Mix well. Fill clam shells with mixture, and place on baking sheet. Sprinkle with parsley and paprika. Drizzle with olive oil.
• Bake at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) for 7 minutes. Serve.

Steps:

• Saute the peppers, shallots and garlic in a medium saute pan briefly in 2 tablespoons of the butter to soften slightly (1 minute maximum). Season this mixture with salt, cayenne and fresh pepper and remove to a plate to cool off. Blend the butter, the cooled off vegetables, parsley and lemon juice in a bowl. Dab a generous amount of this butter mix on each clam, sprinkle with fresh bread crumbs and top with a small piece of bacon. Run under the broiler to heat the clams and brown the bacon. You could also bake the clams in a 425 degree oven for 5 minutes to obtain the same result.

Steps:

• For the stuffing: Over medium heat, melt butter in a heavy bottom skillet until it starts to foam. Add bacon, shallots, and garlic and cook until bacon is cooked and vegetables are translucent, about 6 minutes. Pour in vermouth and stir, scraping bottom of skillet. Reduce heat to low. Add breadcrumbs, Parmesan and parsley. Cook until mixture comes together, approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
• For the clams: Preheat broiler. Place clams on a sheet tray and place them on the middle rack in the oven. Broil until all of the clams have opened, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from oven, discard top shells and release clam meats from bottom shells. Add clam "liquor" (juices) to the stuffing.
• Spoon about 1 teaspoon stuffing into each clam shell, covering the clam meats. Place clams back in the oven on the middle rack and broil until stuffing is golden brown, approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Garnish with fresh lemon juice and serve.

Steps:

• Cook the bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat until crisp. Drain and chop fine. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, stir together the butter, shallots, garlic, parsley, lemon juice, salt, and cayenne until combined. Set aside.
• Arrange the clams in a single layer in a large skillet pan, cover, and steam over high heat until their shells just begin to open, about 5 to 8 minutes. (Do this in batches if needed.) Set aside. When cool enough to handle, remove the top shells and discard. Slide a knife under each clam to loosen it in the shell.
• Crumple a large piece of aluminum foil and spread it out on a baking sheet. (The creases in the foil help keep the clams from tipping over.) Spread about a 1/4 teaspoon of the seasoned butter on top of each clam, top with some of the bacon, and about 1/2 teaspoon of the crumbs. Evenly space the clams on the prepared baking sheet. (The clams can be prepared to this point, covered, and refrigerated, up to 4 hours before serving.)
• Place a rack about 4 inches from the broiler element and preheat. Broil the clams until the crumbs are toasted and the butter is sizzling, about 3 to 4 minutes. Serve warm.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Cook bacon crisp in a saute pan.
• Saute shallots, garlic, peppers in saute pan with bacon on medium head for 2-3 minutes.
• Add parsley, lemon juice, butter and bread crumbs; combine seasonings.
• Cool bread crumb mixture.
• Open clams (some say to discard tops, we used them to loosen the meat and open the other clams) Loosen meat from lower shell, leave clam in shell.
• Place clams on sheet pan top with 1 TBSP crumb mixture.
• Bake 5-8 minutes.
• Sprinkle rock salt on a servering dish and serve with lemons.

Steps:

• Sautee the bacon over a medium fire until it begins to brown.
• Add the garlic and the vegetables and sauté until the vegetables begin to wilt.
• Remove from the fire.
• In a double boiler melt the butter.
• Skim the clear butter off of the top with a ladle and place in a measuring cup discarding the milky portion that remains.
• Crush 1-1½ sleeves of Ritz Crackers and measure off 2 cups.
• Combine ½ cup of drawn butter with 2 cups of Ritz Crackers.
• Adjust the seasoning if needed.
• Combine the Ritz Cracker and butter mixture with the vegetable mixture.
• To make Clams Casino: Wash and open little neck clams being careful to retain as much of the juices as you can. This is accomplished by not tipping the clams. Stuff the clams with casino topping and place a small square of raw bacon on top. Broil in a 375° F oven until the crumbs are brown and the bacon is crispy. Serve with cocktail sauce.

Steps:

• Cook the bacon in skillet until crisp.
• Drain excess fat, roughly chop, and set aside.
• Next, mix the softened butter, shallots, garlic, parsley, lemon juice, salt and cayenne until combined well.
• Arrange the clams in your largest skillet in a single layer.
• Please feel free to steam the clams in batches if they don't all fit in your pan.
• Add a cup or so of water, cover, bring to a boil, and steam clams until their shells just begin to open.
• Remember, the clams will be finished under the broiler, so don't let them go too long in the pan after they begin to open!
• Once the clams are cool enough to handle, twist off the top shell and discard.
• Slide a sharp knife under each clam to loosen it from the bottom shell.
• Line baking sheets or broiler pans with a crumpled large piece of foil - this allows you to press the shells into the foil so they are less likely to tip over.
• Spread about ¼ tsp of seasoned butter on each clam, top with chopped bacon, and ½ tsp of breadcrumbs.
• Arrange clams on baking sheet.
• The clams can be prepared up to this point, and them covered and refrigerated up to 4 hours until ready to broil.
• When ready to serve, preheat broiler.
• Broil clams until crumbs are toasted, and butter is melted and sizzling, about 3-4 minutes.
• Serve warm.

Steps:

• Combine the garlic, bread crumbs, Parmesan, parsley, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and stir to combine.
• Coarsely chop the clams and combine with the lemon juice in a separate bowl.
• Place the clam shells on a baking sheet, using a thin bed of rock salt to stabilize them if desired, and divide chopped clams between them.
• Top with the bread crumb mixture and drizzle with the butter.
• Cook under a preheated broiler until the topping is golden brown and the clams are bubbling, about 2 minutes.
• Garnish with lemon wedges.

Steps:

• Open the clams, reserving the best 2 dozen shells.
• Spread a layer of rock salt in the bottom of a pie pan and push shells into it.
• Fry the bacon till all the fat is rendered (do not fry crisp), then place it on paper towel and press out any remaining fat.
• Chop into fine pieces.
• Mix the butter with the bacon, shallots, green pepper, pimento, Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce.
• Put 1 clam in each shell that you have reserved and top with a dollop of the butter mixture.
• Broil under hot broiler for 5-10 minutes or until butter is sizzling and the bacon pieces are crisp.

Steps:

• In a heavy skillet cook the bacon over moderate heat, stirring, until it begins to brown but is not crisp, transfer it with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain, and discard the fat from the skillet. In the skillet, wiped clean, cook the onion and the garlic in the oil over moderately low heat until they are softened, add the bell peppers and the orégano, and cook the mixture, stirring, until the bell peppers are crisp-tender. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and stir in the bacon, the vinegar, the Parmesan, and salt and black pepper to taste. The bell pepper mixture may be made 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled.
• Arrange the clams in the reserved shells in a jelly-roll pan filled with some of the coarse salt (to balance the shells), divide the bell pepper mixture among them, and bake the clams in a preheated 400°F. oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until they are just cooked through. Arrange the clams on a platter filled with more of the coarse salt.