Clams Casino

Ingredients

• 170 g Bacon
• 100 g Panko breadcrumbs
• salt and pepper Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 57 g Bacon
• 3 pieces Large shallots
• 3 pieces Garlic cloves
• 1 pinch Red pepper flakes
• 60 ml Dry white wine
• 24 pieces Littleneck clams
• 30 g Chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 227 g Unsalted butter
• 1 piece Lemon

Method

1. Make the bacon breadcrumbs: in a large skillet, cook the 170 g diced bacon over medium-high heat, stirring, until well browned and crisp, about 7 minutes. Lower the heat if the skillet starts to smoke. Add the panko breadcrumbs and stir to coat well in the fat. Continue cooking, stirring, until the breadcrumbs are lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool. Season very lightly with salt and pepper.
2. Prepare the clams: in a large sauté pan, cook the 57 g diced bacon over medium-high heat until browned and crisp, about 3 minutes. Add the chopped shallots, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes. Sauté, stirring, until the shallots are translucent, about 4 minutes.
3. Pour in the white wine and add the clams. Cover and cook, checking regularly. As soon as a clam opens, transfer it with tongs to a large bowl to cool. Cover the pan again and continue until all the clams have opened (some open only halfway: gently pry them open by hand). Discard any that are full of sand or give off an unusual odor.
4. Uncover the pan and cook the remaining mixture over high heat, stirring, until the wine and clam juices have completely evaporated and the mixture is jammy. Remove from the heat and let cool.
5. In a medium bowl, combine the cooled mixture, half the parsley (about 15 g), and the softened butter until smooth. Season lightly with salt and pepper (the clams are already salty).
6. One at a time, open each clam by removing the top shell. Carefully loosen the meat from the bottom shell, then place it back in the shell. Arrange the clams on a rimmed baking sheet.
7. Using a butter knife, top each clam with a generous layer of the clam butter, pressing it down firmly to seal. Sprinkle a little bacon breadcrumb mixture over the top, pressing lightly. (At this point, you can cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 1 day before baking. The remaining butter keeps for a week in the refrigerator and is delicious with pasta.)
8. When ready to serve, bake the clams at 230 °C (450 °F) until the butter melts and the clams are hot throughout, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir the remaining parsley (15 g) into the remaining breadcrumbs, then generously sprinkle the mixture over each clam. Return to the oven for 1 minute to warm the breadcrumbs. Serve immediately with the lemon wedges.

Nutrition

Per serving

Energy

273.6 kcal

Protein

10.65 g

Carbohydrate

11.96 g

Fat

20 g

Fibre

1.05 g

Calcium

6.79 mg

Iron

0.08 mg

Magnesium

3.34 mg