A great French classic: clams stuffed with garlic and parsley butter, then gratinated in the oven until the breadcrumbs are golden and crisp. An authentic, generous recipe that is ideal as a starter.
Ingredients
- 12 pieces fresh praire clams (medium size, about 12 pieces)
- 100 g unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 4 cloves garlic cloves, germ removed
- 1 bunch fresh flat leaf parsley (one bunch)
- 1 piece small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 100 g fine breadcrumbs (from stale bread or store bought)
- 50 ml dry white wine (such as Muscadet or Sauvignon)
- to taste fine salt
- to taste freshly ground black pepper
- 1 piece lemon wedges (for serving)
Method
- Prepare the clams: scrub them vigorously under cold water to remove all sand and impurities. Rinse and drain them. Pour 2 cm of water into a large sauté pan and bring it to a boil. Add the clams, cover, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes over high heat, until they open slightly. Remove from the heat, drain, and let cool until warm. Carefully detach and discard the empty top shell. Keep the hollow shell containing the meat. Arrange the half shells in a buttered gratin dish.
- Prepare the filling: mash the softened butter with a fork in a bowl. Finely chop the garlic and parsley, reserving a few parsley leaves for decoration. Add the garlic, parsley, and finely chopped onion to the butter. Mix. Stir in the breadcrumbs, white wine, a pinch of salt, and pepper. Combine thoroughly until you have a uniform, slightly sandy paste. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Stuff each clam: take a walnut sized portion of filling, about 1 heaped teaspoon, and place it on the meat of each clam, pressing gently. The filling should cover the mollusk completely and protrude slightly from the shell.
- Preheat the oven to the broiler setting (or to 220 °C with the fan). Sprinkle a little extra breadcrumbs over each stuffed clam for a crispier finish. Drizzle with melted butter, taking an extra knob of butter if needed.
- Place the dish on the middle rack and gratinate for 5 to 8 minutes, until the breadcrumbs are golden and crisp and the butter is bubbling slightly. Watch carefully so the topping does not burn. If the top browns too quickly, cover it with a sheet of aluminum foil.
- Remove from the oven and let rest for 2 minutes. Decorate with a few fresh parsley leaves and serve immediately with lemon wedges. Stuffed clams are eaten hot as a starter, with country bread.
- Serving tip: squeeze a little lemon juice over each clam before eating to balance the richness of the butter.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 322.4 kcal
- Protein
- 7.04 g
- Carbohydrate
- 23.72 g
- Fat
- 21.84 g
- Fibre
- 2.48 g
- Calcium
- 8.29 mg
- Iron
- 0.17 mg
- Magnesium
- 3.38 mg
