Calico Clams Casino Recipes

Steps:

• For the clams: Add the clams to a large pot or large saute pan with a lid. Add 1/2 cup water and cover the pan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and steam until the clams open, 6 to 10 minutes. Discard any clams that do not open. Reserve 1/4 cup clam juice.
• When they are cool enough to handle, remove the empty top shells of each clam and use your fingers to gently pull the clams from the bottom shell; reserve the bottom shells. Finely chop the clams and reserve.
• Cook the bacon in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until well crisp and rendered, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate using a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the pan (if the pan seems dry, add a touch of oil). Add the shallots, peppers, a pinch of salt and the crushed red pepper flakes and cook until soft and starting to caramelize, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme to the pan and cook until the raw-garlic flavor is gone and the shallots are sweet, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Add the oregano leaves to bloom, then deglaze with the wine and 1/4 cup reserved clam juice and cook until the mixture is reduced by about 80 percent, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the bacon and parsley to combine. Place the bacon mixture in a bowl over an ice bath, stir in the butter and clams and cool slightly until just warm. Taste the mixture and season with salt.
• For the breadcrumbs: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Put the panko, crushed garlic clove and a pinch of salt in dry skillet over medium heat and toast, stirring and tossing constantly till lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer the panko mixture to a bowl and stir in the extra-virgin olive oil, pepper flakes and parsley with a fork. Discard the crushed garlic clove.
• Stuff each clam shell generously with about 1 tablespoon of the clam mixture and sprinkle with enough breadcrumbs to coat, pressing lightly so the breadcrumbs stick. Place the stuffed clams on a metal tray or cast-iron pan. Bake until hot and golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.

Steps:

• In a small skillet, cook bacon until crisp over medium heat. Crumble, and set aside.
• Wash clams. Place on a baking sheet. Heat in a preheated 350 degree F (175 degree C) oven for 1 to 2 minutes, or until clams open. Discard any that do not open. Remove meat from shells. Chop, and set aside.
• Add 2 tablespoons oil and butter to a small skillet, and place pan over medium heat. Add onion, pepper, and garlic; saute until tender. Remove from heat, and cool.
• In a medium bowl, combine bread crumbs, bacon, oregano, cheese, sauteed vegetables, and chopped clams. Mix well. Fill clam shells with mixture, and place on baking sheet. Sprinkle with parsley and paprika. Drizzle with olive oil.
• Bake at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) for 7 minutes. Serve.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°. Spread salt into an oven-safe metal serving platter or a 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Shuck clams, reserving bottom shells; drain liquid (save for another use). Arrange clams in salt-lined pan., Combine the bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons parsley, oil, garlic, cayenne and pepper; spoon over clams., Bake 15-18 minutes or until clams are firm and bread crumb mixture is crisp and golden brown. Sprinkle with remaining parsley. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Soak the clams in cold water to purge any sand, about 20 minutes. Then scrub them clean to remove any dirt or barnacles from the outer shells and then drain.
• Add the white wine and cleaned clams to a large saucepan. Cover and heat over medium. After a few minutes, check to see if any of the clams have opened. Once they start opening, remove the opened clams to a large bowl to cool. Cover the pot and wait another minute or so before checking to see if any more clams have opened. Discard any clams that don't open after 5 minutes. Once all the clams have been removed, turn the heat down to low and let the white wine and clam juice mixture reduce until there is about 1/3 cup of liquid left.
• In the meantime, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to render its fat and slightly browns, about 2 minutes. Next, add the shallots and bell pepper. Cook, stirring, until slightly softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Use a small fine-mesh sieve to strain the 1/3 cup of white wine-clam juice mixture into the skillet. Stir to combine and cook until the mixture is slightly reduced and cohesive, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and let cool slightly.
• Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and preheat the oven to broil.
• Mix the panko, olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together in a small bowl. Set aside.
• Carefully remove the top shell from each clam and use a spoon to loosen the meat from the bottom shell. Place the meat back into the bottom shell and then onto the prepared baking sheet.
• Divide the bacon mixture evenly among the clams, using a spoon to pack the mixture tightly into the shell. Top each of the clams with about 1 teaspoon of the panko mixture.
• Transfer the clams to the broiler and cook until the breadcrumbs are just golden brown, 30 seconds to a 1 minute. Keep an eye on them as the browning can happen quite quickly.
• Remove the clams from the oven and use tongs to transfer them to a serving plate. Garnish with chopped chives. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Saute the peppers, shallots and garlic in a medium saute pan briefly in 2 tablespoons of the butter to soften slightly (1 minute maximum). Season this mixture with salt, cayenne and fresh pepper and remove to a plate to cool off. Blend the butter, the cooled off vegetables, parsley and lemon juice in a bowl. Dab a generous amount of this butter mix on each clam, sprinkle with fresh bread crumbs and top with a small piece of bacon. Run under the broiler to heat the clams and brown the bacon. You could also bake the clams in a 425 degree oven for 5 minutes to obtain the same result.

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until crisp and golden, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a plate. Add the bell pepper, shallots, garlic, and oregano to the same skillet and saute until the shallots are tender and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until it is almost evaporated, about 2 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and cool completely. Stir the reserved pancetta and 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese into the vegetable mixture. Season the mixture, to taste, with salt and pepper.
• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
• Line a heavy large baking sheet with foil. Arrange the clams in the reserved shells on the baking sheet. Spoon the vegetable mixture atop the clams, dividing equally and mounding slightly. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan. Bake until the clams are just cooked through and the topping is golden, about 10 minutes.
• Arrange the clams on the platter and serve.

Steps:

• Make the pizza dough as directed in the master recipe. Stick a pizza stone in the oven and preheat them to 500 degrees F.
• Wash and scrub clams well to remove the exterior sand. Fill a steamer or pot with 1-inch of water, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and toss in the bay leaves. Heat until the water is simmering and then add the clams. Cover and steam for 5 to 10 minutes until the clams open - discard any that do not. Remove the clams from the shells, coarsely chop them up, and put in a bowl. Add the lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper; set aside.
• Coat a saute pan with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and place over medium heat. When the oil gets hazy, add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, tomatoes, and oregano. Cook and stir until the vegetables have cooked down and are really soft, about 10 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
• Spread the ricotta evenly on the crust with a back of a spoon. Scatter the chopped clams all around and top with the sauteed red pepper mixture. Distribute the pieces of bacon on top. Slide the pizza onto the hot stone in the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the crust is golden and crisp, and the cheese is bubbly.
• Before cutting the pizza into slices, drizzle with olive oil, grate pecorino on top, and shower with chopped parsley.
• In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the yeast, sugar, and warm water; stir gently to dissolve. Let the mixture stand until the yeast comes alive and starts to foam, about 5 to 10 minutes.
• Turn the mixer on low and add the salt and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the flour, a little at a time, mixing at the lowest speed until all the flour has been incorporated. When the dough starts to come together, increase the speed to medium; stop the machine periodically to scrape the dough off the hook. Get a feel for the dough by squeezing a small amount together: if it's crumbly, add more water; if it's sticky, add more flour - 1 tablespoon at a time. Mix until the dough gathers into a ball, this should take about 5 minutes.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and fold it over itself a few times; kneading until it's smooth and elastic. Form the dough into a round and place in a lightly oiled bowl, turn it over to coat. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let it rise in a warm spot (i.e. over a gas pilot light) until doubled in size, about 1 hour. This is a good time to stick a pizza stone in the oven and preheat them to 500 degrees F.
• Once the dough is domed and spongy, turn it out onto a lightly floured counter. Roll and stretch the dough into a cylinder and divide into 3 equal pieces. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes so it will be easier to roll out.
• Roll or pat out a piece of dough into a 12-inch circle, about 1/8-inch thick. Dust a pizza paddle with flour and slide it under the pizza dough. Brush the crust with a thin layer of olive oil, and top with your favorite flavors. Slide the pizza onto the hot stone in the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the crust is golden and crisp. Repeat with the remaining dough.
• Yield: 3 pizza crusts