Anyone who has spent any time at the seashore in New England, New York, or New Jersey is probably familiar with some version of baked clams, called “stuffies” in Rhode Island, stuffed clams, or the fancier version “Clams Casino”. Depending on where you live in the Northeast, baked, stuffed clams are commonly flavored with Italian seasonings, but the Portuguese fishing communities also have their own take on baked clams. This version pays tribute to the rich culinary tradition of Portuguese fishing communities in the northeast United States. Bom proveito!

Portuguese Baked Stuffed Clams
Ingredients

2 dozen little necks (about ¾-1 cup of minced clams) See *Note.
1 cup bottled clam broth + 1 cup white wine
¼ length piece (about 4 inches) of a linguiça sausage
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 small onion finely chopped
1 stick of celery finely chopped
1 Bay leaf
½ - ¾ cup of fresh breadcrumbs (I used fresh sourdough breadcrumbs; fresh breadcrumbs produce a fluffier final product, but you can sub Panko for an acceptable result. If you use very fine breadcrumbs, the stuffing with be too doughy and not fluffy.)
1 jalapeño seeded and finely minced (or ½ each of jalapeño and long red hot peppers)
A handful of cilantro, thick stems removed, chopped
¼ teaspoon white pepper
Optional: 2 teaspoons of Portuguese Red Pepper Paste

Preparation

Steam the clams in a covered pot of water with some white wine and garlic and the Bay leaf. After 3-4 minutes check the clams and remove each clam as it opens reserving them in a medium bowl until they are cool enough to handle.
Reserve ½ cup of the cooking broth.
Once the clams are cool enough to handle, separate the shells and remove the clams over the pot of broth to catch any extra clam juice. Keep half of each shell without the adductor muscle attached and place them on a cookie sheet. Reserve the clams in a bowl. (See *Note below)
Finely chop the onion, celery, and jalapeño; add the white pepper (and red pepper paste if using) and sauté over medium heat until tender.
While the vegetables sauté, chop the linguiça into ½ inch cubes and, using a food processor, process until the linguiça is finely chopped; add to the sauté and cook, stirring until the fat renders.
Add the minced clams and cilantro and stir into the onion/celery/ linguica sauté.
Add the breadcrumbs and mix; drizzle with the reserved broth and continue to stir until well mixed and heated through.
Add a spoonful of the mixture to each clam shell.
Cover with foil and cook in a 350 F. oven for 15 minutes; remove the foil and continue to bake for about 5 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs begin to brown.

(Optional: preheat your grill to 350 F. Place the clams on a flat grill pan on the grill covered with tin foil for 15 minutes; remove the foil and continue to bake for another 5 minutes until the breadcrumbs begin to brown.)

*Note: If using already shucked fresh chopped clams or canned clams, you will need to have previously saved clam shells, or small shallow ramekins. Skip steps 1-3. (24 medium clams equals about ¾-1 cup of chopped clams.) In a small saucepan, lightly sauté a clove of garlic in a little olive oil until just fragrant (not brown). Add ½ cup clam broth + ½ cup white wine and a Bay leaf and reduce over med-high heat to ½ cup of liquid. Add the chopped clams to the hot broth and simmer for a minute or two. Strain the liquid into a bowl to reserve; save the clams in a separate bowl.

Wine pairing: white wine like a Chablis, Albariño, Vermentino, Viognier, Soave

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