BEST CLAMS WITH LEMON BUTTER
Oregano clams, otherwise known as lemon butter and garlic clams, are the perfect appetizer for any season. Baked oregano clams are great in the summer, but just as welcome in the winter especially as one of the seven fish.
Lenecks have the peculiar size of a Quahog clam and are smaller than other clams such as clams, cherry pits and clam chowder. They are all the same type of clam. You can use the top necks to make this baked clam recipe, although they are not sold very often in stores.
INGREDIENTS FOR MAKING THE BEST LEMON BUTTER JARS
- 2 dozen Littleneck clams
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 tablespoons of chopped parsley
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup white wine divided
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
- ¾ cup clam juice or chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 1 large lemon, cut into wedges, to serve
- 2 cups homemade or good quality breadcrumbs
INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING THE BEST CLAMS WITH LEMON BUTTER
Carefully open the clams with a butter knife and discard the tops. Release the clam from the shell and then put it back into the shell. Set the oven rack to the second highest level and turn the broiler to high.
In a bowl, combine breadcrumbs, salt, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, parsley, oregano, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, and ¼ cup clam juice. Mix well and taste. Adjust salt and pepper if necessary. If the breadcrumbs are not moist enough, add a little more clam juice.
Place the clams on a baking sheet and add the wine, remaining clam juice and butter to the pan. Sprinkle some of the remaining breadcrumbs (no more than 2 tablespoons) into the clam juice. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over each clam and place the sheet in the broiler for 5-7 minutes. Keep a close eye on the clams so they don’t burn.
When nicely browned, remove the clams and place them on a plate. Pour the pan juices into a bowl around the clams so anyone can add more if they want. Also serve with lemon slices. Enjoy!
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST CLAMS WITH LEMON BUTTER
Preheat oven to 425f. Clean the clams of all dirt with a nylon brush and cold water, then place them on a baking sheet and bake in the oven until they open slightly (about 2-3 minutes.
Once they open a bit, you can easily open the clams with a butter knife. Insert the knife all the way into the hole on both sides and then use the lever to open the cover. Do not try to open at the end, rather insert the knife all the way, then just turn it 90 degrees and the shell will open easily.
Any clams that haven’t opened will need another 1-2 minutes in the oven. If the clam still does not open, it should be discarded. Clams that do not open are already dead and should not be eaten.
With the shell open, use a butter knife to completely remove the clam from the shell. Once removed, put it back into one half of the shell and discard the top part of the shell.
You can see that all the clams had opened and there was quite a bit of sand in them even though they were cleaned. Don’t worry if you want to save the delicious clam juice. At this point, set the oven rack to the second highest level and turn the broiler to high.
