This may be one of those projects that should really say, “Don’t try this at home.” No really. Every time I shuck oysters and clams it makes me really appreciate how cheap they are at restaurants. You heard me right, raw oysters in fancy restaurants are a bargain! This is seriously hard work, especially when you are a first timer. But, it’s also really fun and rewarding. Just make sure you haven’t had too many Aviations or Old Fashioneds before you begin or this will be a little dangerous. I won’t pretend to be an expert shucker. I’m perfectly adequate. But slow. And careful. So I highly recommend that you watch this video by an expert at Legal Seafoods to learn. That said, it didn’t matter how many times I watched the video, the shells would only give on the back edge near where the shells join together. And that reminded me of a very important kitchen lesson. Roll with it. Sometimes your best laid plans and perfect tool for the job approach has to be abandoned when the clams don’t want to open. It took me a long time to get them open, but I did prevail and I made these wonderful baked clams.
- 6 cherry stone clams, shucked and in the half shell
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- ½ teaspoon crushed garlic
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- ½ cup panko
- Preheat the oven to 375° F.
- Mix the butter, garlic, parsley and panko together. Top each of the clams with one sixth of the mixture.
- Bake 30 minutes on a bed of rock salt (any works, but it's cheap). This stabilizes the clams and prevents the delicious juice from running out. This way the crumbs absorb it and bake into the topping. If the breadcrumbs are not completely browned on top, broil 1-2 minutes. Serve with lemon or lime wedges.
Beautiful!!