Friday, June 26, 2015

Stuffed Clams!!




Homegaters!

Everytime you go into a restaurant, you order them when they're on the menu. For some reason, whenever people see it on the menu, their voices raise a notch and they say, "Hey, wanna share an order?" They're one of those yummy little sharable appys that everyone loves to have. I'm talking about:  Stuffed Clams!

My dear Homegaters, you no longer  have to wait until you go out to eat to enjoy these savory little munchies, because I'm unlocking the secret of how to whip up an awesome batch for you and your pals. This dish doesn't take long to prepare. You can even make it ahead of time and fridge them until you're ready to heat them up.

When I buy fresh clams, I ask my fish monger to shuck them for me. I stank at shucking clams in culinary school and haven't gotten any better since then, so I cheat and have the pros do it for me. I also throw in an extra can of chopped clams because I like my filling very clammy. There's nothing worse than eating a stuffed clam and getting more stuffing than clam. You might be surprised at the addition of a little heavy cream, but that adds a little richness to the filling and balances the flavors a bit. With this dish you really need to taste as you go because you want to make sure you have a flavorful balance and not a dry, tasteless mixture. You may find that you need to add a little more clam juice, or even a little more wine. Don't worry, your palate will tell you. And then your guests will tell you how they've been blown away by your culinary prowess.


Stuffed Clams        
(makes 2 dozen)
                                                                                       
1 dozen fresh clams, shucked
(you can have your fish monger
do that for you) and roughly chopped
2 dozen clam shells
1 can chopped clams, plus their
juice
1 small onion, minced
1 small garlic clove, minced
1-2 cups frech bread crumbs
2 tbs grated Romano cheese
1/2 cup white wine (or vermouth)
juice of half a small lemon
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup canola oil

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a sautee pan. Sautee the onions and garlic until translucent.

2. Add white wine/vermouth and reduce by half.

3. Add the canned clams with their juice along with the lemon juice. Heat until bubbling.

4. Add the fresh clams and cook through.

5. Mix the bread crumbs and Romano cheese in with the clam mixture.

6. Add the heavy cream and continue heating through.

7. If the crumb mixture looks dry, add more clam juice until the mixture looks moist.

8. Spoon mixture into clam shells until nicely filled.

9. Place clams on a baking sheet and put in 375-degree oven until the mixture is lightly browned (start checking after 15 minutes).

So there you have it! This doesn't take very long to put together and your guests are going to be seriously impressed. This will be another one of those recipes that will become a go-to dish when the gang comes over.

Hope you decide to try this, and if you do, let me know how you liked it.

Until next week, keep on homegating!













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