Bacon Parmesan Grilled Stuffed Clams Recipes

BACON-PARMESAN GRILLED STUFFED CLAMS

Steps:

• Heat grill to medium heat.
• Fill large skillet with water to 1-inch depth. Bring to boil on medium-high heat. Add clams; cover. Simmer on medium-low heat 3 to 4 min. or until clams open. (Discard any clams that do not open.) Drain clams in colander; rinse with cold water to remove any sand. Remove clam meat from shells; chop and set aside. Reserve 36 clam shell halves.
• Cook bacon in large skillet on medium heat until crisp. Add garlic; cook and stir 30 sec. Stir in crumbs and parsley; remove from heat. Add cheese and oil; mix well. Stir in chopped clams.
• Pour 1/2-inch-deep layer of kosher salt into 16-5/8x11-7/8x2-5/8-inch disposable aluminum pan. Fill shells with bacon mixture; place in single layer in salt. (The salt prevents the filled shells from tipping over.) Place pan on grill grate; grill 4 min. or until clams are heated through. Serve with lemon wedges.

GRILLED CLAMS ON THE HALF SHELL WITH BACON, GARLIC, AND HOT PEPPER

Steps:

• Preheat grill to high.
• Place a medium saute pan over medium-high heat, add the bacon and cook until lightly golden brown. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and continue cooking until the bacon is crisp. Remove from the heat, stir in the olive oil, parsley, and bread crumbs and season with black pepper, to taste.
• Top clams with bacon mixture and place on the grill. Grill for about 1 minute or until just cooked through. Serve immediately.

BAKED CLAM "STUFFIES"

Steps:

• Steam clams: Preheat oven to 350 F. Rinse clams in water to remove any sand or grit. (Alternatively, clams can be soaked in water up to 1 hour.) In a large Dutch oven over high heat, bring 1 inch of water to a boil. Add clams to the boiling water; cover and reduce heat to medium. Cook until clams are open, 7-10 minutes, checking after 5 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables.
• Vegetables: Small-dice the onion. Remove and discard the seeds and white ribs from bell pepper, then small-dice. Trim away the top and bottom of the celery, then small-dice. Roughly mince the garlic. Set all the vegetables aside.
• After 5 minutes, check the clams; transfer the ones that have opened to a bowl. Continue steaming the remaining clams until they are all open, discarding the ones that are cracked or don't open; reserve the clam broth in the Dutch oven. Allow the clams and clam broth to cool.
• Stuffing: In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter. When foamy, add vegetables and sweat until soft, stirring occasionally, 6-8 minutes. Meanwhile, remove clams from their shells; set the shells aside. Optional: Cut the clams in half, then remove and discard any dark detritus in the bellies. Roughly chop the clams, then set aside.Separate the clam shells at their hinges; rinse and dry, then pick 12 of the nicest-looking half-shells and scrape off any muscle that remains attached. Set aside.
• When the vegetables are soft, add the chopped clams, chorizo, and red pepper flakes. Stir and cook until the chorizo fat begins to render, 1-2 minutes. Meanwhile, place Ritz crackers in a plastic zip-top bag. Crush into a coarse meal using a rolling pin, and set aside. (Note: If using unseasoned breadcrumbs, add a pinch of dried parsley, dried thyme, and dried oregano, and mix to combine.)
• Set a coffee filter into a small bowl. Strain about 1 cup of the reserved clam broth through the filter to remove sand and impurities. Set aside the strained broth.To the clam mixture, add ½ cup breadcrumbs, the crushed crackers, and ½ cup strained broth. Stir to combine, adding more breadcrumbs as necessary for a moist, stuffing-like consistency. Turn off heat and let cool, 10 minutes.
• Bake: Place the 12 clean, dried shells on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Heap each shell with plenty of clam stuffing, lightly packing it so nothing spills out. Top with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Bake until Stuffies are heated through and begin to brown on top, 15-20 minutes.When Stuffies are lightly brown, turn on the broiler. Place the tray on the top rack, 6 inches from the heat source, and broil until brown and crusty on top, about 2 minutes. (Keep a close eye on the Stuffies so they don't burn!)
• Remove from oven and arrange shells on a serving platter. Serve immediately, with lemon wedges and hot sauce on the side.

BAKED STUFFED CLAMS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).
• In a large frying pan, melt butter with olive oil over medium heat. Stir in onion, and cook until translucent. Stir in clams, crab meat, parsley, lemon pepper, and bread crumbs. Reduce heat to low, and slowly pour in clam juice until mixture is slightly sticky, but not wet. The bread crumbs will continue to absorb moisture, so be careful not to add too much clam juice.
• Fill each clean clam shell with mixture, pressing tightly into shell. Arrange on a baking sheet, and sprinkle lightly with paprika. (Stuffed shells may be covered and frozen at this point for later use.)
• Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown and sizzling. If frozen, bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes, or until warmed through. Serve warm on a platter with lemon wedges.

BAKED CLAMS WITH BACON

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375ºF.
• Heat a large skillet and add the clams. Add the white wine and cook the clams over high heat until they open. Remove the clams from the skillet as they open using a pair of kitchen tongs, and gather them in a large bowl. Allow clams to cool for a few minutes and then twist off the top shells, leaving the clam "meat" in the bottom shells. Refrigerate until ready to cook.
• Place the cut bacon in a skillet and cook until crispy. Drain on a paper towel and reserve the grease.
• Place the butter in the bowl of a food processor and add the scallions, garlic, lemon zest and half of the lemon juice. Pulse to blend. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the reserved bacon grease and the breadcrumbs and stir to blend. Place the breadcrumb mixture on a baking sheet and cook in the oven until golden brown and bubbling, 3-5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed.
• Remove the clams from the refrigerator and loosely mold some of the breadcrumb mixture into each shell so the clam body is somewhat covered. Arrange the clams in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Broil for 1 minute, watching constantly so they don't burn. Remove from the oven and squirt with the remaining lemon juice. Top each clam with the bacon and parsley and serve immediately.
• *Note: For safety reasons, discard any clams that are open before you cook them and any that are closed after you cook them.

FETTUCCINE WITH BACON-CLAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Cook fettuccine according to package directions. Meanwhile, drain clams, reserving 1/4 cup juice. In a large saucepan, combine the butter, garlic, parsley, oregano, pepper, clams and reserved juice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. , Stir in the cream and Parmesan cheese; cook 2-3 minutes longer or until heated through. Add bacon. Drain fettuccine; stir into sauce.

BACON-BROILED CLAMS

Steps:

• Preheat broiler. Line a 10-by-15-by-1-inch baking sheet with aluminum foil. Arrange clams on prepared baking sheet.
• Scatter scallions evenly over clams. Place one piece of bacon on each clam. Broil close to heat just until bacon is lightly browned. Serve immediately, accompanied by bread.

FETTUCCINE WITH BACON CLAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Cook fettuccine according to package directions.
• Meanwhile, drain clams, reserving 1/2 cup juice.
• In a large saucepan, combine the butter, garlic, parsley, oregano, pepper, clams and reserved juice. Bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
• Stir in the cream and Parmesan cheese; simmer 2-3 minutes longer or until heated through.
• Add bacon.
• Drain fettuccine; stir into sauce.

LINGUINE WITH GRILLED CLAMS AND BACON

Steps:

• Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking over hot charcoal (high heat for gas), leaving about one third of grill free of coals (or, for a gas grill, shutting off one or two burners); see Grilling Procedure .
• Cook bacon in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until crisp. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.
• Stir together oil, garlic, red-pepper flakes, and lemon juice in foil pan and put on grill over area with no coals.
• Grill clams on grill rack over coals, turning with tongs, until they open, 3 to 7 minutes, transferring as opened to foil pan and being careful not to spill their juices. (Discard any clams that remain unopened after 7 minutes.)
• Cook linguine in a pasta pot of well-salted boiling water until al dente, then drain.
• Toss pasta with bacon, parsley, contents of foil pan, and salt and pepper to taste.

STEAMED CLAMS WITH BACON, TOMATO, AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Cook bacon in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is golden, about 6 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to break down and sauce thickens slightly, about 8 minutes.
• Increase heat to moderately high, then add clams and bring to a boil, covered. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until clams just open wide, about 6 minutes (discard clams that do not open after 10 minutes). Stir in spinach and cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.