Best Down East Clam Pie Recipes

DOWN EAST CLAM PIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Pick over clams, and set them in a colander over a bowl to collect juices. When clams are well drained, transfer them to another bowl.
• In a sauté pan, combine onion, red pepper and parsley with 2 tablespoons butter; cook gently over medium-low heat until vegetables are very soft but not brown. Add to bowl with clams. Crumble half the saltines in your hands, and stir into clam mixture.
• Measure amount of juice from clams and add enough milk or half-and-half to make 1 cup. Add to clam mixture along with eggs, and stir to mix well. Add salt and black pepper to taste, and chili pepper, if you wish.
• Use 1/2 tablespoon butter to butter bottom and sides of a 1-quart baking or soufflé dish. Turn clam mixture into dish.
• Crumble remaining saltines a little more finely than first batch. In sauté pan, combine cracker crumbs with remaining butter; cook over medium heat just until they start to brown. Spoon crumbs over clams, and set dish in oven for 1 hour, checking after 45 minutes. If top of casserole is still pale, turn heat to 425 degrees for last 15 minutes. If it is starting to get too brown, place a sheet of aluminum foil loosely over top while casserole finishes cooking. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

OLD FASHIONED CLAM PIE

Steps:

• Sprinkle pie shells with clams, onion, potato, and bacon, dividing equally.
• In a bowl, beat together eggs, cream, and seasoning.
• Pour over mixture in pie shells.
• Bake at 375 for 30 to 40 minutes until golden brown.

CLASSIC CLAM DIP

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients plus 4 tablespoons of the reserved clam juice in a bowl and mix until thoroughly combined.
• Put mixture in a serving bowl and chill.
• Serve with potato chips, crackers, or small pieces of raw vegetables.

MERILL'S BAKED CLAM DIP OREGANATA

Steps:

• If serving the same day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a medium size skillet, saute the butter, onion and garlic over low heat a minute or two, being careful not to let the garlic brown.
• Add the clams with their juice, parsley flakes and oregano to the pan and mix.
• Saute for a few minutes and then add the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese.
• The texture should be like a paste.
• If not, adjust by adding bread crumbs.
• Put mixture in an oven proof pie dish and add paprika sprinkled on top.
• Bake in 350 degree oven, for 25 to 30 minutes, until slightly golden and bubbly.
• Serve warm with crackers.

NEW ENGLAND CLAM PIE

Steps:

• Place clam juice, potatoes, carrots, and onion in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 12 minutes.
• Add clams and salt and pepper to taste.
• Mix flour with light cream or milk (heavy cream will make the mixture too thick), and stir into the clam mixture.
• Bring to boil, stirring until the mixture thickens, remove from heat. Let mixture cool.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and prepare 1 pie shell in baking dish. Pour cooled mixture into the shell, and cover with the remaining shell, sealing the edges and poking airholes in the top.
• Bake for 10 minutes at 400, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and cook about 30 minutes longer, until the crust is golden brown.
• Let the pie cool in order to let the filling set.

CLAM PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Sprinkle the clams, onion, potato and bacon over the bottom of the pie shells. In a bowl, beat together the eggs, cream and poultry seasoning. Pour this mixture over the clams.
• Bake 30 to 40 minutes, until set and lightly browned.