Best Clams With Prosciutto Recipes

BAKED CLAMS WITH PROSCIUTTO BITS AND BREAD CRUMBS

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over moderately high heat. Add the prosciutto and cook, stirring. The prosciutto will give off steam for about 5 minutes while it releases its moisture. When the hiss of steam turns to a sizzle, turn the heat down to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 30 minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bits to several thickness of paper towel to drain. The bits will crisp even more as they cool. Set aside.
• For the clams: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over moderately high heat. Add the sliced garlic and saute until lightly browned. Add the clams and mix to combine. Add the wine and season with black pepper. Bring to a simmer. Cover and cook until the clams open, about 5 minutes, removing them to a baking sheet with a slotted spoon as they open. Discard any that fail to open. Strain the clam juices through a cheesecloth lined sieve and reserve.
• For the stuffing: Heat the oil in a skillet over moderate heat. Add the chopped garlic and saute until lightly browned. Add the bread crumbs, reserved prosciutto, cheese, parsley and 1/4 of the reserved clam juices. Saute until the crumbs are lightly toasted, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Assembly: Separate each shell into 2 halves, discarding the half that does not contain the clam. Loosen the clam from the shell. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the stuffing into each clam.
• Set the clams on a baking sheet and bake until hot throughout, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

WHITE CLAM PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Place a pizza stone or inverted rimmed baking sheet on the bottom rack.
• Mix the garlic and 1/4 cup olive oil in a small bowl. Knead the dough about 6 times on a lightly floured surface. Roll and stretch into a 12-inch round. Place the dough on a pizza peel, or another inverted baking sheet, dusted with cornmeal.
• Brush half of the garlic-oil over the dough; season with salt. Scatter the mozzarella and clams over the crust; drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the reserved clam juice and the remaining garlic-oil. Sprinkle with the oregano, parmesan, and salt to taste. Slip the pizza onto the preheated pizza stone or baking sheet (the cornmeal will help it slide off). Bake until the crust is light brown, 13 to 15 minutes.
• Just before the pizza is done, drizzle the arugula with olive oil and lemon juice. Slice the pizza; top each piece with arugula and season with red pepper flakes, if desired.

CLAMS WITH PROSCIUTTO

Steps:

• Put the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot that can be covered. Add garlic and ham and stir. Add wine and clams.
• Cover and cook, shaking the pot occasionally, until the clams open, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley, and serve.

VONGOLE CONTADINA (STEAMED CLAMS WITH PROSCIUTTO)

Steps:

• Saute prosciutto and garlic in oil and butter in a pot for 1 minute.
• Add the white wine, wait 30 seconds than add the cream and bring to a boil.
• Next, add the clams and cover the pot and steam for 5 - 6 minutes.
• Please, discard any clams that do not open. They are bad.
• Add the butter and parsley to the pot and mix together, season with parsley and black pepper.
• Transfer the clams and prosciutto mixture to a serving bowl and enjoy.

BAKED CLAMS

Steps:

• Wash the clams very well. Put them, the clam juice, water and vermouth in a big pot with a cover. Cook them over very high heat, bringing them to a boil, until they are just cooked, removing them one by one, or by the few, to a roasting pan or other flat tray, with tongs or a hand-held sieve, the instant they pop open.
• Once they've cooled, remove the clams from the shells. Divide top and bottom shells. Wash as many as you plan to serve, and leave them to dry. Add any liquid left with the clams to the liquid in the clam pot.
• Sauté the cup of garlic, leeks, celery and fennel in 3 tablespoons of butter, adding only the tiniest, barest bit of salt to help the vegetables release their liquid. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until leeks are tender and taste good. Through a fine strainer, add all the liquid in the clam pot. Bring to a boil, and cook down until only about 1 cup of liquid remains. Add the heavy cream. Taste for salt. Add the chopped leaves and chervil and the clams, either whole or roughly chopped.
• Divide the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into 24 small squares. If it seems difficult, use more butter. No precision needed. Fill each half clamshell very full with the clam mixture - with either 1 clam per shell, if left whole, or a spoonful, if chopped. Top each half with a sprinkle of bread crumbs and a tiny square of butter.
• Put in a single layer, in 1 or 2 large roasting or baking pans, under the broiler at its highest setting, quite close to the broiler. Serve hot.

CLAMS IN A CATAPLANA CASA VELHA

Steps:

• Scrub the clams well in cool water, pile in a large deep kettle, add the cold water, salt, and the cornmeal, which acts as an irritant that forces the clams to purge themselves of grit. Let the clams stand in the cold water about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, prepare the sauce: Stir-fry the onions, garlic, and green peppers in the oil in a large heavy skillet over moderate heat 8 to 10 minutes until limp and golden. Add the bay leaf, tomatoes, and their juice. Break up any large clumps of tomatoes, bring mixture to a simmer, cover, and cook slowly for 30 minutes; add the tomato sauce, prosciutto, smoked ham, and pepperoni, re-cover, and cook 30 minutes longer. Note: You can make the sauce as much as two days ahead of time but do not buy the clams until the day you plan to serve the cataplana. The sauce should be covered and refrigerated until you are ready to proceed.
• To assemble the cataplana, spoon half the tomato mixture into the bottom of a very large cataplana (it should measure about 15 inches across) or into a large heavy Dutch-oven type of kettle, and bring to a simmer over moderate heat. Adjust the heat so that the mixture barely boils, arrange the clams on top, spoon in the remaining tomato sauce, cover tight, and cook 10 minutes over moderately low heat - no peeking. Open the cataplana or kettle, pour in the wine, scatter the parsley evenly on top, then toss the clams lightly. Re-cover and cook slowly 15 to 20 minutes longer until the clams open - discard any that do not.
• Carry the cataplana or kettle to the table, open, and ladle into large soup plates. Serve with Pão or other rough country bread. Note: Be sure to put out a large bowl for empty clam shells.