Stove Top Smoker Smoked Clams On The Half Shell With Casino Butt Recipes

Steps:

• To make the casino butter, beat the butter, bacon, red pepper, parsley, lemon juice, Worcestershire, and black pepper together in a small bowl. The butter can be prepared up to three days in advance and refrigerated or frozen up to 1 month. Bring the butter to room temperature about 1 hour before smoking the clams. The butter should be very soft so it melts easily when spooned on the clams.
• Line the bottom of a 9 x 11-inch aluminum foil tray with an even 1/2-inch layer of rock salt.
• Nestle the clams on their half shells into the salt to keep them level during smoking.
• Set up the smoker using the wood chips and smoke the clams over medium heat until they are cooked through and tinged with brown, about 12 minutes, after closing the top.
• Remove the smoker lid and drop about 1/2 teaspoon of the butter onto each clam. Let them.
• sit a minute until the butter starts to melt, then transfer them carefully to serving plates or a warm platter. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Into a large pot or large kettle, pour about 3 to 4 inches of water. Add the salt, and a few handfuls of seaweed to come quarter way up the pot.* Nestle the lobsters on top of the seaweed. Layer the corn, sausages and potatoes and then the clams on top, and cover with a lid or tin foil.
• Bring the pot to a boil over high heat, and then turn down to medium, and steam the 'clambake' for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until the clam shells have opened wide and the lobster has turned bright red. Scoop out all the pieces onto a serving platter, cut the lobster tail from midway through to the end and open up for ease of eating with your hands!
• Serve with bottled hot sauce, lobster crackers and a pot of warm compound butter for dipping and slurping.
• To make the garlic-chive butter: Mince the garlic and add to the soft butter in a bowl. Mince the fresh chives, and add. Squeeze the lemon juice over top. Add a pinch of salt. Stir to incorporate. Place half of the compound butter on a piece of wax paper, shape into a log and roll up, twisting the ends to secure shut. Place the other half on another wax paper sheet, roll up, and refrigerate.
• To make the lime butter: Combine the butter, lime zest and lime juice in a small bowl, Stir to combine. Place the butter on a piece of wax paper, shape into a log and roll up, twisting the ends to secure shut, and refrigerate.
• To make the smoked paprika butter: Combine the butter, paprika, hot sauce and salt in a small bowl. Stir to combine. Place the butter on a piece of wax paper, shape into a log and roll up, twisting the ends to secure shut, and refrigerate. Just before serving, cut a hunk off the butter log and place in a small saucepan to melt for the lobster and clam dipping pot. Place the remainder back in the refrigerator for later use.

Steps:

• Preheat grill to high.
• Place a medium saute pan over medium-high heat, add the bacon and cook until lightly golden brown. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and continue cooking until the bacon is crisp. Remove from the heat, stir in the olive oil, parsley, and bread crumbs and season with black pepper, to taste.
• Top clams with bacon mixture and place on the grill. Grill for about 1 minute or until just cooked through. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Scrub the clams under cold water with a stiff brush to remove the dirt. Next, find a durable thick cloth and fold it over several times to create a square; this will steady the clams as you shuck them and also protect your hand. Using the towel as a mitt, hold the clam firmly in the palm of your towel-covered hand; have a small bowl handy to catch the delicious juice. Insert the tip of a clam or oyster knife between the shell halves, and work it around one side to the other as you pry it open. Using the knife, cut the muscles away from the top shell, bend the shell back, and discard it. Run the knife underneath the clam to detach it completely, but leave it in its shell (take care not to cut the meat itself.) Tip out the clam juice into the bowl and pour it back over the shucked clams. Nestle the clams in a bed of crushed ice or rock salt to keep them steady. Spoon the cucumber mignonette on top and serve as part of a raw shellfish bar.
• In a small bowl, combine the rice wine vinegar, shallots, ginger, cucumber, black pepper, and cilantro; mixing with a fork. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour or up to the day before you plan to serve, to allow the flavors to come together. Serve with raw oysters and clams.

Steps:

• Read through the recipe carefully before you start. Some recipes require seasoning or marinating the food in advance; other recipes suggest you brine the food or take them to room temperature before smoking.
• Make sure the smoker parts are clean and dry before you start.
• Sprinkle the amount and type of wood chip you have chosen over the center of the bottom of the smoker, covering an area roughly the size of your burner.
• Put the drip pan in place. Always line the drip pan with a single layer of aluminum foil. This cuts cleanup time in half.
• Arrange whatever item(s) you are smoking on the rack. Newer smoker models have nonstick racks; older racks should be sprayed with vegetable cooking spray to prevent sticking and make for easier clean up.
• Be sure to leave space between items on the rack and between the food and the sides of the smoker.
• Close the lid about two-thirds of the way and center the smoker over a burner. Turn the heat to medium.
• When you see the first signs of smoking rising from under the drip pan, close the lid securely and start timing.
• Check the food for doneness at the time suggested in the recipe. Wear oven mitts or protect your hands with sturdy pot holders, grasp the handles firmly with one hand and slide the lid off with the other. Test the food as quickly as possible (with an instant-read thermometer or other methods suggested in the recipe) and slide the lid closed quickly if it needs more cooking time.
• When the food is ready, turn off the heat and remove the lid of the smoker, unless a recipe directs you to leave it on for a specified amount of time.

Steps:

• In a large pan heat butter and oil.
• Saute shallots 2 minutes add garlic give a couple stirs then add white wine simmer 5 minutes or till reduced in half.
• Add can diced tomatoes.
• Add seasonings and bring to boil.
• Add frozen clams just to heat.
• Place on a platter and drizzle olive oil over clams.
• Garnish with parsley.
• Serve with a nice fresh crusty bread.
• Or toss clams into cooked pasta for a meal.

Steps:

• Whisk together all ingredients except coarse salt and clams (to make mignonnette sauce).
• Prepare grill for cooking. If using a charcoal grill, open vents in bottom of grill.
• Cover a large platter with a 1/2-inch layer of coarse salt to hold clams in place for serving. Grip 1 clam in a kitchen towel with its "hinge" facing toward you. Working over a bowl to catch any clam liquor, slide knife in between the 2 shells at a point opposite hinge and rotate clam, sliding knife between shells, until knife reaches hinge. Cut through hinge, being careful to avoid hitting center of clam. Open shells, sliding knife along underside of top shell to detach it from clam. Pull top shell off and discard, keeping clam in bottom shell, and slide knife under clam to loosen, preserving as much clam liquor as possible in bowl.
• When fire is moderately hot (you can hold your hand 5 inches above rack for 3 to 4 seconds), set rack on grill. Using tongs, arrange clams on the half shell in 1 layer on rack and spoon some reserved liquor on them. Once clam liquor reaches a boil, allow clams to grill, uncovered, until just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Carefully transfer clams with tongs to platter and drizzle with mignonnette.

Steps:

• Gather about 4 gallons of littleneck clams. Keep them in salt water for a couple of days, changing the water every day. Place them on a grill or barbecue and cook until they open. This tends to make your barbecue a bit messy. Remove meat. Or, place the clams in a large pot 1/4 full of boiling water and steam them open. Remove meat. The mesh, or gap, on the racks of the smoker needs to be small enough that the clams can't fall through. Some people use stainless steel or aluminum screens. Others simply cover the racks with aluminum foil and punch holes through it. Place clams fairly densely on racks. Use your favorite smoking chip (we use alder) and smoke for 1 to 2 hours. One hour gives a very light smoke flavor. The clams are already cooked, this step is simply to add flavor. Do not over smoke or the clams will dry out and become chewy. Get out the instructions for your pressure canner. Place smoked clams in canning jars (we find 1/2-pint jars work best) and cover with a vegetable oil (we use olive oil). Place the caps on and then pressure can according to the instructions on your canner. Remove from canner and enjoy. The smoked flavor of the clams intensifies as the jars age. These clams should be moist and smoky. They can be used as appetizers on crackers, in poultry dressings, or in soups such as split pea or clam chowder. This recipe yields ?? servings. Caution: Remember, Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) is always a concern whenever you eat wild harvested clams or mussels.

Steps:

• Put the wood chips in the bottom of the smoker.
• Replace the bottom tray, and set in the rack.
• Lay the oysters in the half shell on the smoking rack.
• Start the oysters over medium heat and lower the heat slightly once the smoker lid is closed.
• Smoke until the oysters are very lightly colored and firm, but still plump and moist, 9 minutes over the heat after closing the smoker lid and about 6 minutes off the heat with the smoker lid closed.
• Check the oysters for doneness after they have been off the heat 5 minutes.
• Serve right from the smoker or drizzle them with melted butter and pass lemon wedges, a pepper mill, and a bottle of hot red pepper sauce.
• Or prepare your favorite stuffed oyster recipe, fold into a spinach omelet, or try them in Oysters Vanderbilt (see related separate recipe).