Since 2005 (with a 2 year break) Thanksgiving dinner for me has been a lobster dinner. One of the sides that I've been making is Clams Casino. This is not the huge bread-crumb laden monstrosities that you see at the grocery store. My Clams Casino are chunky, cheesy, include bacon.
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| My lobster, Harold, soaking in beer |
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| Harold, ready to eat |
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Start by cleaning about 25 live little-neck clams. I start by soaking them in brine for about 15 minutes, then scrubbing them under running water to get rid of any grit. If any clams are open, give them a tap to see if they will close. If it doesn't close, it's probably already dead. Toss these out because you don't know how long they've been dead. Steam the live ones over a couple cups of water until they all open. Let them cool for a bit, then remove the meat from the shells, cleaning off the 'skin' from the neck. Rinse & save the shells.
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
3 shallots, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
Oregano (fresh, if possible)
1/3 cup white wine
5 slices bacon, finely chopped
Salt & Pepper, to taste
Parmesan, or other hard cheese
Cook bacon until crisp, chop and set aside
Saute bell pepper, shallots, garlic & oregano until shallots are translucent. Add wine & reduce.
Remove from heat. Stir in bacon and half the cheese. I used fontina in the mix and parmesan on the top.
Salt & pepper to taste.
Spoon mixture into saved shells, top with cheese.
Broil until cheese is melted and golden brown.
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