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Clams Casino

Clams Casino tops tender littleneck clams with crisp bacon, sweet peppers, and buttery panko. The shells bake until the breadcrumb topping is golden and the clam meat reaches 145°F.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 24 minutes
Total Time 39 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Calories: 210
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the clams
  • 24 littleneck clams scrubbed
  • 0.5 cup water
For the topping
  • 4 slices bacon finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 0.25 cup shallot minced
  • 0.25 cup red bell pepper finely diced
  • 1 cloves garlic minced
  • 0.5 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 2 tbsp clam cooking liquid strained
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 0.125 tsp black pepper

Equipment

  • 1 8-quart pot
  • 1 10-inch skillet
  • 1 rimmed baking sheet

Method
 

Steam the clams
  1. Discard any clams with broken shells or any that stay open when tapped, then rinse the rest under cold running water.
  2. Put the clams and water in an 8-quart pot, cover, and steam over medium-high heat for 5–8 minutes, removing clams as they open and discarding any that remain closed.
  3. Strain and reserve 2 tablespoons of the cooking liquid, remove the top shells, and loosen the meat in each bottom shell.
Make the topping
  1. Cook the bacon in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp; pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat.
  2. Add the butter, shallot, and bell pepper and cook for 3–4 minutes until softened.
  3. Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds.
  4. Add the panko, reserved clam liquid, parsley, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and black pepper and stir until evenly moistened.
Assemble and bake
  1. Heat the oven to 450°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil; arrange the clam shells on the sheet and spoon the topping over the clams.
  2. Bake for 5–8 minutes, until the topping is golden and the clam meat reaches 145°F.

Notes

For the best texture, serve soon after baking. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for up to 2 days; freezing is not recommended. For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free panko breadcrumbs.