The Ultimate Appetizer of all times!
For years Stuffed Top Neck Clams have been the highlight of our holiday feast. It’s become tradition for the men in the family to gather around my kitchen island to prepare the clams for stuffing. A daunting task and skill taught to the younger generations year after year to keep the tradition alive. The only compliant you may hear from the men is that their not cooking fast enough!
This photo of my Father teaching my husband Barry how to open the clams safely several years ago, is a photo I will cherish forever. Although he may not be with us physically and mentally, he is forever with us in spirit as each clam is opened at my island each holiday.
Top Neck Clams
Ingredients
35 top neck clams split open and mussel loosened
4 stacks original Ritz Crackers crushed in food processor
1-2 handful of Sicilian Breadcrumbs (recipe pg 2o1 “Gifts of Gold”
1 envelope Good Season Italian Dry Dressing Mix
1 large sweet onion puréed
1 medium ripe tomato seeded and finely hand chopped
1-2 sticks melted salted butter
1 green pepper cut finely by hand
½ lb. sliced bacon cut into ½ inch pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
Step-by-Step
1 Place all ingredients except butter, olive oil and bacon into a large mixing bowl
2 Add butter a little at a time while working crumbs together with your hands, mixture should be a moist consistency not wet soggy
3 Drizzle stuffing mixture with olive oil and mix well
4 Carefully place prepared clams on a cookie sheet, (keep natural clam juices in each shell)
5 Using your hand top each clam with a heaping tablespoon of stuffing
6 Top each stuffed clam with bacon
7 Place clams uncovered into a preheated 350 degree oven
8 Bake 5-10 minutes or until tops of crumbs are golden and bacon is slightly crisp
For my Step-by-Step video Tutorial clink on link below at The Gloucester Daily Times Taste Of The Times
http://food.gloucestertimes.com/recipe-video/Stuffed-Top-Neck-Clams.html
Good Morning Gloucester 
Mmmmm beautiful stuffed clams–they look beyond delish!!!
A sweet photo to remind you of the wonderful times with your Dad and to help keep him in your heart always.
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Looks fabulous! The only suggestion I might make is to cover the bottom of the baking pan with washed gravel or pea stones… that way, the clams will sit firmly, won’t roll around and won’t spill their juices…. HATE to lose the juice!! Gotta try this one soon!!
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Neat idea…let me know how that works out!
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Mmmmm beautiful stuffed clams–they look beyond delish!!!
A sweet photo to remind you of the wonderful times with your Dad and to help keep him in your heart always.
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Those look amazing!
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I am taking my family recipe for stuffed quahogs and throwing it away. I can tell by the photo this is a much better way to do it rather than mincing the clam and pasting the doughy mixture back into the shell.
Our new family tradition starts this weekend. The one alteration (although not really an alteration since you did not say where to get the bacon) is to try it with some bacon from Burgers Smokehouse. I put an order around this time of year and the end pieces might be good for this dish:
http://www.smokehouse.com/burgers.nsf/item/City-Bacon-End-Slices
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🙂 You are 100% right about fathers and daughters – he never left you inside of you each day!
“But she is always a princess to her father” -Unknown
Anything clams are what me and my younger brother loved growing up older brother move on in 2010. Used to walk to Folly cove area 1965-1968 and there was a little fried clams out on the point shack-place with picnic tables (Take out or eat there) pint – quart whole clam fried may have had steamers also but we mostly ate the fried…and price even a Gloucester Daily Times paperboy then could afford – it was also the end of my route going that way or plum cove court depending upon which way I went first…Still remember the house of left close to cove – Lady had two big German Police dogs fenced…And no I left the paper on the outside of fence – had one encounter when fooled by my older brother1
Happy Christmas and New Year! Dave & Kim across the big pond 🙂 🙂
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I grew up in RI, digging quahogs as a kid. This traditional recipe from your family really rings home. Another gem.
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Love seeing your Dad in the kitchen! Miss seeing him at your table! And glad I still get to see him every so often….
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Thank you, not for the clams, but…
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