Best Clams Oreganato Recipes

Baked Clams Oreganato image

Yield serves 6

Number Of Ingredients 9

36 littleneck clams, shucked (reserve half of the shells for filling), juices reserved and strained
1 1/2 cups fine dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup dry white wine
Lemon wedges, for serving (optional)

Steps:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Coarsely chop shucked clams, and put in a large bowl. Add the bread crumbs, bell pepper, parsley, oregano, and salt. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, and toss with a fork to combine.
Stuff the reserved clamshells with the filling, and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle each clam with a little of the reserved clam juice, pouring any extra juice, along with the white wine, into the bottom of the pan. Drizzle the clams with 3 tablespoons olive oil, and drizzle the remaining tablespoon oil in the bottom of the pan with the juice and wine.
Bake until clams are lightly browned and crusty, about 15 to 20 minutes. To serve, set clams on plates with remaining sauce and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice for each.
notes
Another option-one I like very much-is not to chop the clams.
Shuck the clams, and leave each whole clam in a half-shell. Toss all the other ingredients separately, then cover the clams with a light coating of the mixture. Pat lightly, and continue as per recipe.

CLAMS OREGANATO image

Yield 10

Number Of Ingredients 16

Ingredients
For steaming the clams:
24 cherrystone (or other small) clams, scrubbed well
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves, chopped
¼ cup dry white wine
For the stuffing:
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium red onion, cut into 1/8-inch dice
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/8-inch dice
1 ¼ cups fresh bread crumbs, crusts removed
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves, chopped
½ cup reserved clam stock

Steps:

Preparation To steam the clams: In a deep stock pot, heat ¼ cup olive oil over medium-low heat. Add 2 minced garlic cloves and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon oregano and the white wine and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add the clams, stir well to coat, and cover the pot tightly with a lid. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring once, until clams open, 5-7 minutes. (Discard any clams that do not open after 7 minutes.) Remove clams from pot and allow to cool. Reserve ½ cup of the liquid given off by the clams in the stockpot, as you will add this later to the stuffing. To make the stuffing: In a 10 to 12-inch saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat until smoking and add the onion, garlic, and red pepper. Cook 6 to 7 minutes, until softened and light golden brown, then add the bread crumbs and continue cooking another 3 minutes, until they are light golden brown. Remove the mixture from heat, season with salt and pepper, and cool. Carefully open the cooled clams, loosening the flesh onto a cutting board. Discard one half of each shell, and place