Braised Clams
3 dozen littleneck or middleneck clams
10-15 slices pepperoni
olive oil, as needed
1 tablespoon reserved rendered pepperoni oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced shallots
pinch chili flake
½ cup dry Spanish sherry like Amontillado or Manzanilla
½ cup white wine
¼ cup Italian parsley leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons pepperoni butter (recipe below)
For serving:
baguette, cut into ¾-inch thick slice on a bias
olive oil, as needed
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Toast the Baguette:
Preheat your oven to 375˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the baguette on the tray in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bake until golden brown and crispy.
Soak the Clams:
Prepare a large bowl of cold water (1 gallon water to ⅓ cup of kosher salt). Add a couple handfuls of ice and stir. Discard any broken clams. Add the clams to the water and allow them to soak for 30 minutes to purge any sand. After soaking, remove and place in a clean bowl. If any shells feel dirty or sandy, you can give them a rinse and quick scrub. Keep cold until ready to use.
Crisp the pepperoni in a dry sauté pan, set aside on a paper-towel lined plate and reserve for garnish. If you have more than 1 tablespoon of oil in the pan from rendering, discard the extra. If you don’t have quite a tablespoon, add a drizzle of olive oil.
Add the garlic and shallots to the pan and sauté until tender but not browned. Add the chili flake and toast for 30 seconds. Add the sherry and white wine. Add the clams and cover the pan with a lid. Steam just until the clams open, about 6-7 minutes. Remove the clams as they open and place in a serving bowl. Discard any clams that don’t open after 7 or 8 minutes. Add the parsley and pepperoni butter. Swirl in the butter to thicken the sauce. Taste for seasoning. Pour over the clams. Garnish with the crispy pepperoni and toasted baguette.
For the pepperoni butter:
1 cup thinly sliced pepperoni
4 tablespoons butter
Combine the pepperoni and butter in a food processor and pulse until well mixed. Set aside.
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