Clams

[swtness]

Clams are grayish tan bivalve mollusks with sweet, tender flesh, available live in the shell or already shucked. Live clams should be well scrubbed before use. Discard clams that do not close tightly when touched and cooked clams that did not open.


To scrub clams:
Soak clams for several minutes in enough cold water to cover generously. Under cold running water, scrub the shells clean with a small, stiff-bristled brush

[swtness]

Clams Casino Recipe

1 small can minced clams
1 pound sausage
itilian bread crumbs
mozzerella cheese
green pepper
onion
bacon strips
itilian seasoning

fry bacon into crisp strips
cook sausage into small crumbles with onion (small) and
green pepper.
add clams and juice
add enough bread crumbs to make into dressing consistancy
add a pinch of itilian seasoning
blend well
top with cheese while still hot enough to melt it
serve in clam shells
ot aluminum foil shaped like shells
sprinkle with lemon and enjoy

[Kitchen Witch]

CRAB CAKES

1 lb. crabmeat, picked free of shells
1/3 c. crushed crackers (recommended: Ritz)
3 green onions (green and white parts), finely chopped
1/2 c. finely chopped bell pepper
1/4 c. mayonnaise
1 egg
1 t. Worcestershire sauce
1 t. dry mustard
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/4 t. garlic powder
1 t. salt
Dash cayenne pepper
Flour, for dusting
1/2 c. peanut oil
Favorite dipping sauce, for serving

In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients, except for flour and peanut oil. Shape into patties and dust with flour. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, carefully place crab cakes, in batches, in pan and fry until browned, about 4 to 5 minutes. Carefully flip crab cakes and fry on other side until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Serve warm with preferred sauce.

[Kitchen Witch]

Wharf Rat Crab Cakes

1 pound jumbo lump crab meat
1 to 2 cups bread crumbs
2 cups mayonnaise
1 egg
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning
1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 tablespoon horseradish
1 lemon, juiced

Sort through crabmeat and remove any shells. Mix in bread crumbs until there is an even distribution through out the crabmeat.
In a separate bowl combine all other ingredients and mix thoroughly. Gradually add the mix to the crabmeat until the crabmeat is moist but not too wet.
Divide crabmeat into cakes (1 ounce for appetizers, 4 to 6 ounces for entrees). Thoroughly heat crab cakes for 10 to 15 minutes at 375 degrees F and finish under the broiler to brown the top. Crab cakes can also be pan-fried.

[Kitchen Witch]

Shrimp Stuffed with Deviled Crab
Makes 6 servings

2 pounds large 21-25 count shrimp, peeled and deveined, split along the center and flattened
1 pound blue crab
4 tablespoons butter (2 ounces)
1 tablespoon of green onion
1 tablespoon green bell pepper
1 tablespoon of celery heart
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon hot chili sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup bread crumbs
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon chili sauce


Place the green onion, green bell pepper, celery heart and parsley in the bowl of a food processor and process until well minced. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and sauté the minced vegetables for 2 minutes. Whisk the chicken broth and cornstarch together in a small bowl and then whisk into the vegetables.

Add the mustard, vinegar, hot chili sauce and Worcestershire sauce and whisk to combine the ingredients. Bring the sauce to a boil and cook for 1 minute while whisking. Remove from the fire and cool. Stir in the crabmeat and refrigerate.

Preheat the broiler.

Lay the shrimp on a buttered broiler pan and stuff 1-teaspoon full of crab stuffing onto each shrimp. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Melt the butter and chili sauce together and drizzle over the shrimp.

Broil about 4 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through. The stuffed shrimp may also be cooked in a preheated oven on the top rack for about 5 minutes, until cooked through.

[Kitchen Witch]

Baked Stuffed Clams with Garlic Butter
(4 servings)

2 cups shucked clams
24 empty clam shells
10 tbsp butter, at room temperature
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp finely chopped shallots
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
3/4 tsp finely chopped thyme, or half the amount dried
1/2 tsp hot red pepper flakes
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
3 tbsp fine fresh breadcrumbs
3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese


Cut each clam into 4 or 5 pieces. Fill each clam shell with equal amounts of the clams.

Preheat broiler.

Put butter into mixing bowl and add garlic, shallots, parsley, thyme, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Spoon equal amounts of the butter onto each filled clam. Smooth over the top.

Blend breadcrumbs and cheese and additional pepper to taste. Sprinkle equal amounts of the mixture on top of each stuffed clam.

Place stuffed clams under broiler 5 or 6 inches from the source of heat. Cook about 3 minutes and turn the oven heat to 450 F. Let cook 2 minutes longer. Serve immediately.

[patm099]

New England Clam Chowder

2 to 4 c. drained, chopped clams (reserve broth)
4 oz. diced salt pork or bacon
2 small onions chopped fine
2 medium potatoes, chopped
2 c. light cream (or cream/milk mixture)
Salt and Pepper (white pepper preferred)
Fry salt pork till crisp. Remove meat with slotted spoon. Add onion to remaining fat in pan and cook three minutes. Add potatoes. Add enough clam broth and/or water to almost cover potatoes. Cook over low heat till potatoes are tender. Add clams and cook for just two minutes after water returns to boil. Add heated, not boiled, cream. Season to taste. Stir, let stand a few minutes and serve in heated bowls. May be frozen or reheated, but do not boil.

[patm099]

MANHATTAN CLAM CHOWDER

1 1/2 c. chopped carrots
4 to 5 med. size onions
1 stick butter
2 c. boiling water
1 c. chopped celery
1 1/2 c. diced potatoes
3 (6 1/2 oz.) cans minced clams
1 1/2 c. stewed tomatoes
1/2 tsp. thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt & pepper to taste

Saute onions in butter. Add 2 cups boiling water. Add celery, carrots and potatoes. Simmer 10 to 15 minutes. Add clams, salt, pepper, tomatoes, thyme and bay leaf. Simmer 30 minutes.
Optional: 1 small chopped bell pepper may be added. Two cans minced clams plus 2 (8 ounce) bottles clam juice may be used in place of 3 cans clams. Serves 6.

[swtness]

Roast Clams

Roast in a pan over a hot fire, or in a hot oven, or, at a "Clam Bake", on hot stones; when the clams open, empty the juice into a saucepan; add the clams, with butter, pepper and a touch of salt.

very simple but tastey

[swtness]

Linguine With Roasted Garlic & Clam Sauce

1 dozen little neck clams; scrubbed clean
2 tbsp. olive oil
4 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
3 tbsp. chopped parsley
1 cup white wine
12 oz fresh linguine; cooked and drained


Place garlic on square of foil and drizzle with a little olive oil. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes or until tender. Peel garlic and coarsely chop.

Heat oil in a large pot and stir in garlic. Add pepper flakes and parsley. Pour in wine and bring to a simmer. Add clams and cover pot. Cook about 6-8 minutes or until clams are all open. Discard any unopened clams.

Stir in linguine and toss to coat. Serve immediately