You probably got to try stuffed clams or stuffies in Italian restaurants or in Rhode Island, which is famous for it. But cooking clams can be just as easily done in your own kitchens! This baked clams recipe will definitely make you love seafood dishes even more with the fusion of fresh seawater clams and cheesy bread crumbs stuffing that will make the perfect dinner.
It’s also one of many easy seafood recipes that you can serve on any occasion as a fancy appetizer, so read on and discover how easy it is to make this dish.
What Type of Clams Should I Use For Making Stuffed Clams?
The most common type of clams used for making stuffies is littleneck clams, also known as hard clams or quahogs. You can go with any other large clams like cherrystone but we strongly recommend using quahog clams because they are bigger, meatier, and their tender meat is perfect for boiling and baking.
The most common type of clams used for making stuffies is littleneck clams, also known as hard clams or quahogs. You can go with any other smaller hard shell clams like cherrystone. However, we strongly recommend using quahog clams because they are relatively bigger, meatier, and their tender meat is perfect for boiling and baking.
Tips on Prepping Stuffed Clams
You might find this recipe intimidating at first, but this recipe definitely made it easy. Here are some useful cooking and clam safety tips that can help you get started with making these tasty stuffed clams:
- Cook fresh clams on the day that you bought them or keep them frozen overnight. This is to ensure that they’re still safe to eat.
- Throw away clams that aren’t tightly closed before cooking and those that don’t open up after cooking, because they’re not safe to eat anymore.
- Clean the clams. These seawater creatures are mostly submerged with stones, soil, and sand. So, make sure they are sand-free, clean, and soaked in cold water for 20 minutes to remove all the dirt away.
- Place your clams in the freezer for 20 minutes before opening their shells if you’re finding it hard to shuck them. Upon bringing it to room temperature, the clams would slightly open. From there, use a knife to cut into the shell.
- Serve them with lemon wedges. Lemon wedges will take your slurp to a whole other level. This additional squeeze of lemon juice will add a lovely tart taste to the clams, enhancing their mild seawater taste.
Finally, make this clam chowder recipe or a buttery sauteed lobster tail and serve them alongside our baked stuffed clams.
How To Make Fresh Baked Stuffed Clams
These easy-to-bake stuffed clams will be your new favorite seafood dish. Its fresh and zesty clam meat goes perfectly well with cheesy breadcrumbs stuffing.
Ingredients
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 cup bread crumbs, preferably homemade
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- ¼ cup parsley, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper , to taste
- 12 large quahog clams, rinsed
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 6 tbsp butter, melted
- Lemon wedges, for garnish
Instructions
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Place your clams in a container with clean water. Soak them for 30 minutes.
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Shuck the clams by using a knife to cut the shells in half.
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Combine garlic, bread crumbs, Parmesan, parsley, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
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Coarsely chop the clams and combine with the lemon juice in a separate bowl.
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Place the clam shells on a baking sheet and divide the chopped clams between them. You can use a thin bed of rock salt to stabilize the shells if needed.
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Top with the bread crumb mixture and drizzle with the butter.
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Cook under a preheated broiler until the topping is golden brown and the clams are bubbling, for about 2 minutes.
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Garnish with lemon wedges and serve.
Nutrition
- Calcium: 94mg
- Calories: 277kcal
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Cholesterol: 12mg
- Fat: 21g
- Fiber: 1g
- Iron: 1mg
- Potassium: 72mg
- Protein: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Sodium: 348mg
- Sugar: 1g
- Vitamin A: 744IU
- Vitamin C: 6mg
Ingredients You Need
Commonly Asked Questions
Are stuffed clams good for you?
Clams are a healthy source of protein, minerals, vitamins, and Omega-3 fatty acids. Most vitamins and minerals in food are also retained through steaming. So if you’re after healthy and delicious clam recipes we suggest serving tender steamed clams with garlic butter sauce or our shrimp and steamed clams cooked on the grill.
Should you purge clams?
Since clams can contain grit, sand, and dirt, they have to be purged prior to cooking. To purge clams, we simply submerge them in 1 gallon of water mixed with ⅓ cup of salt for 30 minutes. After this, we replace the water with the same saltwater solution and we repeat the “purging” for two or three times, or until you see that the bottom of your bowl is clear from sand and grit.
How long do stuffed clams last in the fridge?
Your cooked clams can be stored in the refrigerator as long as they’re covered in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. To reheat your stuffed clams, put them in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes at 350 degrees F. Proceed to serving it with lemon wedges and enjoy.
Conclusion
Making stuffed clams requires easy prep and serves a tasty seafood with savory flavors that everyone will love. Let your oven do the magic for your cheese stuffed clams recipe and enjoy it in less than two hours.
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