Down East Clam Pie Recipes

DOWN EAST CLAM PIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Pick over clams, and set them in a colander over a bowl to collect juices. When clams are well drained, transfer them to another bowl.
• In a sauté pan, combine onion, red pepper and parsley with 2 tablespoons butter; cook gently over medium-low heat until vegetables are very soft but not brown. Add to bowl with clams. Crumble half the saltines in your hands, and stir into clam mixture.
• Measure amount of juice from clams and add enough milk or half-and-half to make 1 cup. Add to clam mixture along with eggs, and stir to mix well. Add salt and black pepper to taste, and chili pepper, if you wish.
• Use 1/2 tablespoon butter to butter bottom and sides of a 1-quart baking or soufflé dish. Turn clam mixture into dish.
• Crumble remaining saltines a little more finely than first batch. In sauté pan, combine cracker crumbs with remaining butter; cook over medium heat just until they start to brown. Spoon crumbs over clams, and set dish in oven for 1 hour, checking after 45 minutes. If top of casserole is still pale, turn heat to 425 degrees for last 15 minutes. If it is starting to get too brown, place a sheet of aluminum foil loosely over top while casserole finishes cooking. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

CLAM PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Sprinkle the clams, onion, potato and bacon over the bottom of the pie shells. In a bowl, beat together the eggs, cream and poultry seasoning. Pour this mixture over the clams.
• Bake 30 to 40 minutes, until set and lightly browned.

OLD FASHIONED CLAM PIE

Steps:

• Sprinkle pie shells with clams, onion, potato, and bacon, dividing equally.
• In a bowl, beat together eggs, cream, and seasoning.
• Pour over mixture in pie shells.
• Bake at 375 for 30 to 40 minutes until golden brown.

PHILADELPHIA CLAM PIES

Steps:

• Peel potatoes and cut into 1/4-inch dice.
• Heat butter and bacon in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then add onion, garlic, and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is pale golden, about 5 minutes. Add bay leaf, thyme, clove, carrots, celery, and potatoes and reduce heat to moderate, then cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are golden and almost tender, about 15 minutes (be careful not to let them burn). Add wine, scraping up any brown bits.
• Stir together clam juice and cornstarch. Add to vegetables in skillet and bring to a simmer. Cover skillet and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove lid and stir in clams with their liquor. Bring to a simmer and cook 1 minute, then remove from heat and cool to warm, uncovered. Discard bay leaf and clove.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.
• Roll out 1 pastry sheet into a 12-inch square on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin. Cut out 3 squares of pastry that are at least 1 inch larger all around than tops of soup bowls. Repeat with remaining pastry sheet.
• Divide clam filling among soup bowls (leaving at least a 3/4-inch space between surface of filling and tops of bowls). Brush 1 pastry square with egg and cover 1 bowl with it, egg side down, pressing edges of pastry firmly onto outside of bowl. Repeat with remaining squares of pastry and bowls. Brush tops of pastry with remaining egg.
• Bake pies in bowls in a large shallow baking pan until pastry is golden and puffed, about 20 minutes.

NEW ENGLAND CLAM PIE

Steps:

• Place clam juice, potatoes, carrots, and onion in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 12 minutes.
• Add clams and salt and pepper to taste.
• Mix flour with light cream or milk (heavy cream will make the mixture too thick), and stir into the clam mixture.
• Bring to boil, stirring until the mixture thickens, remove from heat. Let mixture cool.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and prepare 1 pie shell in baking dish. Pour cooled mixture into the shell, and cover with the remaining shell, sealing the edges and poking airholes in the top.
• Bake for 10 minutes at 400, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and cook about 30 minutes longer, until the crust is golden brown.
• Let the pie cool in order to let the filling set.