Have you ever craved a delectable seafood dish that captures the essence of New England's culinary heritage? Look no further than "stuffies," also known as stuffed clams, a regional favorite that has tantalized taste buds for generations. These tender, succulent clams, brimming with a savory stuffing of bread crumbs, herbs, and spices, offer a symphony of flavors that will transport you to the charming coastal towns of the Northeast. In this comprehensive guide, we will embark on a culinary journey, uncovering the secrets to creating the perfect stuffies. From selecting the freshest clams to mastering the art of stuffing and baking, we will provide you with all the essential tips and tricks to elevate your cooking skills and impress your family and friends with this New England delicacy.
Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!
NEW ENGLAND STUFFED CLAMS (QUAHOGS)
New England-style Stuffed Clams also called Stuffed Quahogs (hard-shelled clams) are a regional favorite in Rhode Island around Narragansett Bay and along the coastline is Southern Massachusetts and the Cape.
Provided by Ronda Eagle | Kitchen Dreaming
Categories Appetizer
Time 50m
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Scrub clam shells to remove any debris.
- Fill a deep, wide skillet with about 1/2 inch of water, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the quahogs in one layer and cover. Steam the clams for about 4-5 minutes. As soon as the shells open, remove the clams from the skillet, and discard any that don't open. Retain the cooking liquid, and rinse out the skillet before proceeding to step 6.
- Next, remove the clam meat, but not the adductor muscle portion that attaches the two halves of the shell (this is tough). Chop the meat into small pieces. Reserve 12 clam shells for step 9.
- Into the same skillet, add the olive oil, butter, bell pepper, chourico (or dry chorizo) and onions, and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes until the onions and bell peppers soften. Then, add the garlic and saute for another minute or two before removing the skillet from the heat.
- In a large bowl cover the bread with 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking liquid from the quahogs. With your hands, push the bread down into the liquid completely submerging it. Allow to sit for a few minutes to soak up the liquid. Drain and excess and, with your finger tips, break the bread apart to form a fine meal. The mixture should be moist enough to stick together, but not too wet. If needed, add more clam liquid or more breadcrumbs.
- Add in the chopped quahog meat and the sautéed meat and vegetable mixture to the bowl.
- Finally, add in the Portuguese allspice and red pepper flakes and mix to combine. Taste mixture and adjust the seasonings. Once the bread seasoning is to your liking, add in the beaten egg. Mix until completely combined.
- Stuff the clam shells with a mounded scoop scoop of clam stuffing. Sprinkle with some paprika then bake on a rimmed baking sheet until heated through - about 20-25 minutes.
- Top with a pad of butter, a slice of lemon, and hot sauce on the side (optional).
Nutrition Facts : ServingSize 1 stuffed clam, Calories 127 kcal, Sugar 1 g, Sodium 204 mg, Fat 9 g, SaturatedFat 4 g, Carbohydrate 8 g, Fiber 1 g, Protein 3 g, Cholesterol 30 mg
DAD'S FAMOUS STUFFIES
The third of July is almost as important as July Fourth in my family. We make these stuffed clams on the third every year, and it's an event in and of itself! -Karen Barros, Bristol, Rhode Island
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 1h35m
Yield 10 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Add 2 in. water to a stockpot. Add clams and chourico; bring to a boil. Cover and steam 15-20 minutes or until clams open., Remove clams and sausage from pot, reserving 2 cups cooking liquid; cool slightly. Discard any unopened clams., Preheat oven to 350°. Remove clam meat from shells. Separate shells; reserve 30 half-shells for stuffing. Place clam meat in a food processor; process until finely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl., Remove casings from sausage; cut sausage into 1-1/2-in. pieces. Place in a food processor; process until finely chopped. Add sausage, onion and seafood seasoning to chopped clams. Stir in stuffing cubes. Add reserved cooking liquid and enough water to reach desired moistness, about 1 cup., Spoon clam mixture into reserved shells. Place in 15x10x1-in. baking pans. Bake until heated through, 15-20 minutes. Preheat broiler., Broil clams 4-6 in. from heat 4-5 minutes or until golden brown. If desired, serve with lemon wedges and pepper sauce. Freeze option: Cover and freeze unbaked stuffed clams in a 15x10x1-in. baking pan until firm. Transfer to freezer containers; return to freezer. To use, place 3 stuffed clams on a microwave-safe plate. Cover with a paper towel; microwave on high until heated through, 3-4 minutes. Serve as directed.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 296 calories, Fat 11g fat (3g saturated fat), Cholesterol 71mg cholesterol, Sodium 1188mg sodium, Carbohydrate 34g carbohydrate (3g sugars, Fiber 2g fiber), Protein 18g protein.
BAKED STUFFED CLAMS
My clams are requested all the time. They are the perfect appetizer for any occasion and so easy to make. Definitely guaranteed to rival anything you get in a restaurant! Great to freeze and have as a quick snack anytime. (Note: if you don't have clam shells, form tin foil into clam shaped cups, and proceed as directed.)
Provided by Danielle Merk
Categories Appetizers and Snacks Seafood
Time 1h
Yield 12
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).
- In a large frying pan, melt butter with olive oil over medium heat. Stir in onion, and cook until translucent. Stir in clams, crab meat, parsley, lemon pepper, and bread crumbs. Reduce heat to low, and slowly pour in clam juice until mixture is slightly sticky, but not wet. The bread crumbs will continue to absorb moisture, so be careful not to add too much clam juice.
- Fill each clean clam shell with mixture, pressing tightly into shell. Arrange on a baking sheet, and sprinkle lightly with paprika. (Stuffed shells may be covered and frozen at this point for later use.)
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown and sizzling. If frozen, bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes, or until warmed through. Serve warm on a platter with lemon wedges.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 258 calories, Carbohydrate 30 g, Cholesterol 38.5 mg, Fat 8.8 g, Fiber 2.6 g, Protein 15.3 g, SaturatedFat 3.2 g, Sodium 385.5 mg, Sugar 2.5 g
BAKED CLAM "STUFFIES"
These stuffed clams are a Rhode Island specialty! Large clams can be tough because of their size-but when steamed and chopped, they add bite and briny flavor to a soft, chorizo-vegetable stuffing. Finished in the oven for a golden Parmesan crust, this is a fun, satisfying appetizer to eat, straight from the shell.
Provided by Michael Ruhlman
Categories main-dish
Time 1h15m
Yield 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Steam clams: Preheat oven to 350 F. Rinse clams in water to remove any sand or grit. (Alternatively, clams can be soaked in water up to 1 hour.) In a large Dutch oven over high heat, bring 1 inch of water to a boil. Add clams to the boiling water; cover and reduce heat to medium. Cook until clams are open, 7-10 minutes, checking after 5 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables.
- Vegetables: Small-dice the onion. Remove and discard the seeds and white ribs from bell pepper, then small-dice. Trim away the top and bottom of the celery, then small-dice. Roughly mince the garlic. Set all the vegetables aside.
- After 5 minutes, check the clams; transfer the ones that have opened to a bowl. Continue steaming the remaining clams until they are all open, discarding the ones that are cracked or don't open; reserve the clam broth in the Dutch oven. Allow the clams and clam broth to cool.
- Stuffing: In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter. When foamy, add vegetables and sweat until soft, stirring occasionally, 6-8 minutes. Meanwhile, remove clams from their shells; set the shells aside. Optional: Cut the clams in half, then remove and discard any dark detritus in the bellies. Roughly chop the clams, then set aside.Separate the clam shells at their hinges; rinse and dry, then pick 12 of the nicest-looking half-shells and scrape off any muscle that remains attached. Set aside.
- When the vegetables are soft, add the chopped clams, chorizo, and red pepper flakes. Stir and cook until the chorizo fat begins to render, 1-2 minutes. Meanwhile, place Ritz crackers in a plastic zip-top bag. Crush into a coarse meal using a rolling pin, and set aside. (Note: If using unseasoned breadcrumbs, add a pinch of dried parsley, dried thyme, and dried oregano, and mix to combine.)
- Set a coffee filter into a small bowl. Strain about 1 cup of the reserved clam broth through the filter to remove sand and impurities. Set aside the strained broth.To the clam mixture, add ½ cup breadcrumbs, the crushed crackers, and ½ cup strained broth. Stir to combine, adding more breadcrumbs as necessary for a moist, stuffing-like consistency. Turn off heat and let cool, 10 minutes.
- Bake: Place the 12 clean, dried shells on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Heap each shell with plenty of clam stuffing, lightly packing it so nothing spills out. Top with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Bake until Stuffies are heated through and begin to brown on top, 15-20 minutes.When Stuffies are lightly brown, turn on the broiler. Place the tray on the top rack, 6 inches from the heat source, and broil until brown and crusty on top, about 2 minutes. (Keep a close eye on the Stuffies so they don't burn!)
- Remove from oven and arrange shells on a serving platter. Serve immediately, with lemon wedges and hot sauce on the side.
Tips:
- Use fresh clams. Fresh clams will have a briny, sweet flavor and a firm texture. Avoid clams that are cracked or chipped, as these may be spoiled.
- Purge the clams. Purging the clams will help to remove any sand or grit from their shells. To purge the clams, place them in a bowl of cold water and let them soak for 30 minutes. Drain the water and rinse the clams well before using.
- Use a variety of stuffings. There are many different types of stuffings that can be used for stuffed clams. Some popular options include bread crumbs, chopped celery, onion, and bell pepper, diced tomatoes, and grated Parmesan cheese. You can also add your own favorite herbs and spices to the stuffing.
- Bake the clams until they are golden brown. The clams should be baked until they are golden brown and the stuffing is heated through. This will take about 20-25 minutes in a preheated oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Serve the clams hot. Stuffed clams are best served hot, right out of the oven. You can garnish them with fresh parsley or chopped chives.
Conclusion:
Stuffed clams are a delicious and easy-to-make appetizer or main course. They are perfect for a party or a casual get-together. With a variety of stuffings to choose from, you can find a recipe that everyone will enjoy. So next time you're looking for a seafood dish that is sure to impress, give stuffed clams a try.
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