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Clams Casino is an iconic seafood appetizer that’s been served at seafood restaurants throughout New England for decades. The dish was purportedly created in the early 20th century by a chef at the Narragansett Pier Casino in Rhode Island, hence the name.
Recipe Insights
The classic version of Clams Casino includes clams on the half shell topped with bacon, garlic, bell pepper, and breadcrumbs. Our version is pretty much the same with a couple of variations – we use shallots in place of garlic, and sweet bell pepper instead of green pepper. Both of these ingredients impart milder flavors that won’t overpower the clams.
We also take a shortcut around having to shuck the clams by putting them under the broiler for a few minutes until they open. This is not only easier than getting out the shucking knife, it also ensures that the clams don’t overcook while waiting for the bacon to crisp.
Key Ingredients
Here’s an overview of the essential ingredients for this recipe, along with shopping tips, and possible substitutions. The complete ingredient list is in the recipe card below.
- Clams: You can use either littleneck or middleneck clams to make Clams Casino. Littleneck clams measure about 1-3/4 to 2 inches in diameter. Middlenecks are slightly larger, measuring about 2 to 2-1/2 inches in diameter, and have a slightly firmer texture than littlenecks, but both varieties are tender enough to use in this recipe.
- Bacon: We like to use thick-cut bacon because its meatier texture complements the clams nicely, and we feel it makes a nice-looking presentation, but regular bacon is fine as well.
- Shallots: With their mild onion flavor and subtle garlic undertone, sautéed shallots are the perfect choice for enhancing the flavor combination of the clams and bacon without being overwhelming like garlic can be.
- Sweet bell pepper: Sautéed bell pepper adds both sweetness and melt-in-your-mouth texture to Clams Casino. You can use red, yellow, or orange peppers, but avoid green pepper as its pungent flavor is likely to overwhelm all the other ingredients.
- Fresh breadcrumbs: A handful of soft, fresh breadcrumbs are essential to this dish as they add a light, stuffing-like quality to each bite without being overly bready.
How to Make Clams Casino
Prepare the clams: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the broiler. Scrub the outside of the clams with a soft brush (see below), then arrange them on a foil-lined baking sheet and broil until they open, 4 to 6 minutes. Once all the clams have opened, turn off the broiler and heat the oven to 400°F. Once the clams are cool enough to handle, remove and discard the top shells, then pour off any juices they’ve given off into a small bowl and set aside. Use the tip of a paring knife to cut through the muscle that connects the meat to the shell, then return the clams to the baking sheet while you make the topping.
Make the topping: Fry the bacon until browned but not overly crisp, and drain on paper towels. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat, reduce the heat to medium, then add the minced shallot and diced pepper. Sauté until the bell pepper is tender and the shallots are fragrant. Deglaze the pan with the white wine, scraping up any browned bits that may have accumulated on the bottom. Stir in the reserved clam juices, add the breadcrumbs and parsley, combine well, and remove from the heat.
Finish the dish: Spoon a portion of the topping mixture over each clam, then top each with a piece of bacon. Put them back in the oven just long enough to warm them through, 3 to 5 minutes.
Notes: Cleaning the Clams
Many recipes call for soaking the clams in a saltwater solution in order to get rid of grit and sand. While we feel this step is essential for soft-shell clams like steamers and razor clams, we find that hard-shell varieties like littlenecks rarely require this extra step.
What to Serve with Clams Casino
Although this dish is a purely American creation, we grew accustomed to eating it in some of Rhode Island’s most popular Italian restaurants, so we usually pair it with some more traditional Italian fare, and we even include it in our Americanized version of the Feast of the Seven Fishes for Christmas Eve. For that spread, we serve clams casino along with steamed mussels, snail (aka scungilli) salad, and seared sea scallops. Authentic? Definitely not. Delicious? Most definitely.
Clams casino would also make a great starter for main dishes like baked stuffed cod or shrimp, scallops with pasta, or Louisiana-style shrimp.
Clams Casino
Ingredients
- 2 dozen littleneck clams, (or middleneck clams)
- 2 slices thick cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon minced shallot, (1/2 medium)
- 1/2 sweet bell pepper, diced into 1/4-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons fresh breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the broiler for at least 5 minutes.
- Scrub the outside of the clams (see notes) with a soft brush, then arrange them in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet and broil until they open, 4 to 6 minutes. To avoid overcooking, use a pair of tongs to remove a few clams at a time as they open. Once all the clams have opened, turn off the broiler and change the oven temperature to 400°F.
- Once the clams are cool enough to handle, remove and discard the top shells, then pour off any juices they've given off into a small bowl and set aside. Use the tip of a paring knife to cut through the muscle that connects the meat to the shell, then return the clams to the baking sheet while you make the topping.
- Fry the bacon until browned but not overly crisp, and drain on paper towels.
- Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat, reduce the heat to medium, then add the minced shallot and diced pepper. Sauté until the bell pepper is tender and the shallots are fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Deglaze the pan with the white wine, scraping up any browned bits that may have accumulated on the bottom. Stir in the reserved clam juices, add the breadcrumbs and parsley, combine well, and remove from the heat.
- Spoon a portion of the topping mixture over each clam, then top each with a piece of bacon. Put them back in the oven just long enough to warm them through, 3 to 5 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These are delicious and I like the idea of putting the clams under the broiler to open them because I don’t trust myself with a shucking knife – lol. I read what you said about not being an Italian dish, but I remember eating them in Italian restaurants too. I suppose you could replace the bacon with pancetta and throw in a little oregano…
Hi Patricia,
The pancetta and oregano are a good idea. Thanks for that!