As plenty of people do at some point in the summer, Ben and I have packed our bags and headed to the Jersey Shore. Once a year for as long as I can remember, my family has rented a house with father’s sister and her family. We’ve been doing this for 20 years, and as we’ve all grown up and gotten engaged and married, the homes that we’ve stayed in have had to get bigger to accommodate the extra people. Now my cousin Tara’s children are part of our group, and it’s been fun watching them grow up on the same beaches we did. I’m excited to maintain this traditional trip with them, especially when Ben and I start expanding our family.
So for the next week I’ll be here, sitting on the beach, eating cheesestakes on the boardwalk, and spending time with family. Before we left, I made these clams for Ben’s parents when we had them over for dinner, and we slurped them up before making some pasta con sarda. It was kind of incredible how quickly they came together, and I’ve decided that these clams will be on regular rotation as an appetizer for my dinner parties. I made them with fresh clams that I steamed, but you can buy the empty shells and use canned clams in juice, too. Just skip the step where you steam the clams and move on to the mixing.
INGREDIENTS
20 fresh little neck clams, or 1 can minced clams in liquid
1/2 c breadcrumbs
2 cloves grated garlic
1 Tbsp finely chopped onion
1 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp oregano
Parmesan, for sprinkling
Lemon wedges, for serving
Olive oil
INSTRUCTIONS
If using fresh little necks, place them in a large bowl and cover with a few inches of well-salted water. Let sit for at least 30 minutes to allow them to purge. Remove from water by hand.
Place clams in an even layer in the bottom of a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Add enough water to just barely cover the bottle third of the clams. Cover and steam for 5-8 minutes, until all clams have popped open. Remove from heat, saving about 1/4 cup of the liquid that has released into the bottom of the pan.
Meanwhile, add about a tablespoon of olive oil to a large skillet and heat. Add in the grated garlic and onion. Once softened, after about 3-5 minutes, add the breadcrumbs, parsley, salt, and oregano, and mix well. Lower the heat to medium-low and toast, shaking regularly, until golden brown.
Remove the meat from the clams and mince. Mix with the breadcrumb mixture and a few splashes of the clam liquid.
Separate the intact clam shells and arrange the halves onto a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Scoop a little bit of the clam and breadcrumb mixture into each half shell, pressing the mixture gently. Sprinkle with a little bit of parmesan.
Bake in a 375 oven for 25-30 minutes. Arrange on a serving plate surrounded by lemon wedges, and drizzle with olive oil.