by Jane Gilgun

Created on: July 11, 2008   Last Updated: March 22, 2012

This recipe is based on clams served at The Lighthouse Inn, Point Judith, Rhode Island, in the 1960s when I was a waitress there, earning money for college.

18 little neck clams (about 2 inches or a bit smaller), shucked. Reserve the bottom shells and the clam juice
4 strips of raw bacon chopped into quarter-inch chunks
1/3 cup fine bread crumbs
2 sprigs of Italian flat leaf parsley

cup finely chopped red bell pepper
cup chopped sweet onions
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1/8 tsp of powdered garlic

Preheat a broiler and position the shelf about three inches from the broiler

Saute the onions and bell peppers in the olive oil until they are cooked but still have some firmness. You don't have to drain them because you need the oil to add moisture to the bread crumbs

Finely chop the parsley

Add the chopped parsley, the garlic powder, and the cheese to the bread crumbs
Mix well

Scrub and rinse the empty shells
Place one clam in each shell and even divide the clam juice among each clam in shell

Place a small portion of the bread crumb mixture on top of each clam
Place a small portion of the onions and peppers on top of the bread crumbs
Place one to two pieces of the raw bacon on top of the bread crumbs

Place the dressed clams in a shallow stainless steel pan or cookie sheet

Broil for about one minute or until the bacon is crisp.

Using an oven mitt, arrange the clams on a large oval platter garnished with Romaine lettuce and other seasonal vegetables.

Eat with a cocktail fork. Great with white wine or a cold larger beer. Cocktail sauce is not needed. The succulent flavors of the dish satisfies most people, but some may like cocktail sauce as well.

Serves 1-3, depending on how much each person wants to eat.

This recipe is easy to follow because making clams casino is a step-by-step process. The clams are not cooked all the way through so they retrain the flavors of the ocean.

Shucking the clams requires a sharp, small knife. Place the blade of the knife lengthwise against the most round portion of the clam. Push and the knife slips in. Pick out any bits of shell that may drop into the clam. Run the knife under the clam to loosen the clam from the shell.

In coastal Rhode Island, you can dig the clams yourself at low tide. Bare feet and legs, a clam fork, and a rugged sack are all you need. You feel for the clams with your feet and dig them out with your fork. If you get clams that are close to three inches, these are cherry stones. You could use them for clams casino too. Any bigger than that, and the clams are called quahogs. Grind them up or chop finely for clam chowder.

Happy eating!

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