Baked Clams With Bacon Recipes

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.

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.