Baked Clams With Bacon Recipes

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.

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 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.

BAKED CLAMS WITH GARLIC

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Cook the clams: Heat a large skillet over high heat. Rinse the clams one final time to make sure they are free of any grit. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the skillet, add the clams and vermouth and cook, shaking the skillet slightly, until the clams open. Remove and cool. Reserve any cooking liquid.
• Make the breadcrumb mix: Place the remaining 10 tablespoons butter in the bowl of a food processor, add the garlic, scallions and lemon zest and juice and pulse to blend. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Mix in the breadcrumbs.
• Prepare and bake the clams: Detach each clam from its shell and put the meat back in the shell. Mix the reserved cooking liquid from the clams (if any) with the cream. Pour a touch of the cream mixture on top of each clam and immediately mold some of the breadcrumb mixture into each of the shells so the clam body is covered. Arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until hot, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and preheat the broiler.
• Broil the clams for 1 minute, watching them constantly so they don't burn. Remove them from the oven. Squirt with lemon juice. Top each clam with some parsley. Serve immediately.

CHOPPED BAKED CLAMS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion in heated oil for 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more, making sure not to brown the garlic. Stir in the clams, thyme, and oregano. Remove from heat and stir in the beaten egg. Once combined, mix in breadcrumbs and spoon mixture into 4 ramekins; arrange on a baking sheet. Drizzle butter over each ramekin.
• Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.

CLAMS CASINO WITH BACON AND BELL PEPPER

Steps:

• Arrange a rack in center of oven; preheat to 500°F. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally, until golden and crisp, 5-7 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towels, reserving fat in skillet. Let cool, then break into 1/2" pieces.
• Purée shallots and bell pepper in a food processor until finely chopped. Add shallot mixture to bacon fat; season with 1/4 tsp. salt. Cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add vinegar and cook, stirring, until liquid is evaporated and mixture begins to look dry, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Toss panko with oil and parsley in a small bowl; season lightly with salt. Spread a layer of salt on a rimmed baking sheet and arrange clams over to keep steady. Top each clam with a level 1/2 tsp. shallot mixture (you may have extra), then top with bacon and breadcrumb mixture. Roast until breadcrumbs are lightly toasted and clams are just cooked through, 6-8 minutes.

CLAMS AU GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F, grease a 1 1/2 quart casserole.
• Fry bacon in a saucepan until it starts to brown, add butter, celery, green pepper and onion and saute for 5 minutes.
• Reduce heat to low, add flour and stir until blended.
• Add milk, increase heat to medium high.
• and stir constantly until thickened and smooth, adding a bit more milk if needed.
• Remove from heat, stir in salt, pepper, 1/2 cup of the cheese, eggs and clams.
• Pour into the casserole and top with the remaining cheese.
• Bake 25 minutes, or until golden and bubbling.

BAKED CLAMS

Steps:

• Wash the clams very well. Put them, the clam juice, water and vermouth in a big pot with a cover. Cook them over very high heat, bringing them to a boil, until they are just cooked, removing them one by one, or by the few, to a roasting pan or other flat tray, with tongs or a hand-held sieve, the instant they pop open.
• Once they've cooled, remove the clams from the shells. Divide top and bottom shells. Wash as many as you plan to serve, and leave them to dry. Add any liquid left with the clams to the liquid in the clam pot.
• Sauté the cup of garlic, leeks, celery and fennel in 3 tablespoons of butter, adding only the tiniest, barest bit of salt to help the vegetables release their liquid. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until leeks are tender and taste good. Through a fine strainer, add all the liquid in the clam pot. Bring to a boil, and cook down until only about 1 cup of liquid remains. Add the heavy cream. Taste for salt. Add the chopped leaves and chervil and the clams, either whole or roughly chopped.
• Divide the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into 24 small squares. If it seems difficult, use more butter. No precision needed. Fill each half clamshell very full with the clam mixture - with either 1 clam per shell, if left whole, or a spoonful, if chopped. Top each half with a sprinkle of bread crumbs and a tiny square of butter.
• Put in a single layer, in 1 or 2 large roasting or baking pans, under the broiler at its highest setting, quite close to the broiler. Serve hot.

CLAMS CASINO

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.

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.