Rhode Island’s Italian immigrants have made clam soup an integral part of the clam-shack cuisine. From Giovanni da Verrazano, the first Italian to visit Rhode Island, to the generations of today, the plentiful seafood of the Ocean State has been given an Italian twist. As I savored baked clams across the United States, in most cases the clams were chopped, but I like whole clams baked with bread crumbs in the shell. Small clams like littlenecks are the best.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 6
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Step 2
Coarsely chop shucked clams, and put in a large bowl. Add the bread crumbs, bell pepper, parsley, oregano, and salt. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, and toss with a fork to combine.
Step 3
Stuff the reserved clamshells with the filling, and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle each clam with a little of the reserved clam juice, pouring any extra juice, along with the white wine, into the bottom of the pan. Drizzle the clams with 3 tablespoons olive oil, and drizzle the remaining tablespoon oil in the bottom of the pan with the juice and wine.
Step 4
Bake until clams are lightly browned and crusty, about 15 to 20 minutes. To serve, set clams on plates with remaining sauce and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice for each.
notes
Step 5
Another option—one I like very much—is not to chop the clams.
Step 6
Shuck the clams, and leave each whole clam in a half-shell. Toss all the other ingredients separately, then cover the clams with a light coating of the mixture. Pat lightly, and continue as per recipe.
