Clams Oreganata
Briny, buttery clams are steamed in white wine before being shucked and topped with a savory oreganata. After a brief run under the broiler to crisp everything up, these perfect one-bite appetizers are ready to be the star of your party!
Servings: 4 as an appetizer
Ingredients
For the clams:
- 3 pounds littleneck clams (about 50 clams)
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt (for purging)
- 1/2 cup white wine
For the oregananta:
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white wine
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
- Clean and purge the clams. Using a stiff brush, scrub your clams thoroughly under cool water. Fill a large bowl with cool water and the kosher salt. Place the clams in the bowl and the bowl in the fridge for at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours. (Don’t soak the clams any longer than this, as this could kill them!) After they have soaked for at least 1 hour, carefully lift clams out of the water, leaving any sand behind in the bottom of the bowl.
- Bake the clams. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place clams on a rimmed baking sheet and pour wine over. Place clams in the oven and roast until just opened, about 5 minutes. (If a lot of the clams aren’t open after 5 minutes, return to the oven for 2 minute intervals until the majority of your clams have opened) Remove sheet tray from oven and allow to cool slightly.
- Make the oreganata. In a large bowl, add breadcrumbs, oregano, granulated garlic, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, lemon zest and grated parmesan. Stir to combine. Drizzle olive oil and wine over. Using your hands, mix the oreganata until thoroughly moistened, with the texture of wet sand. Set aside.
- Prepare the clams. When the clams are cool enough to handle, carefully pour any excess liquid off of the sheet tray. Place a medium bowl next to the sheet tray. Holding each clam over the bowl to catch any liquid, slide a butter knife between the two halves of the slightly opened clam and pry the top shell from the bottom. Discard the top shell into the bowl. Using the tip of the butter knife, gently disengage the clam meat from the bottom shell. Place the bottom shell with the free-floating clam meat back on the sheet tray and repeat with the rest of the clams. Discard any clams that didn’t open in the oven.
- Stuff and bake the clams. Heat the broiler to the highest setting. Place a packed teaspoon of the oreganata mixture firmly on top of each opened clam, pressing lightly with your fingers to make sure that it stays within the shell. Broil until just browned and crispy, anywhere from 3-6 minutes, depending on your broiler. Make sure to check often so you don’t burn them!
- Serve the clams. Using tongs, transfer clams to a serving platter. Squeeze half of the zested lemon over, and garnish with fresh parsley. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Calories: 229.4kcal | Carbohydrates: 16.1g | Protein: 11.7g | Fat: 10.1g | Saturated Fat: 2.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5.7g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 20.7mg | Sodium: 4324.2mg | Potassium: 139.4mg | Fiber: 1.6g | Sugar: 1.5g | Vitamin A: 582.8IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 137mg | Iron: 2.5mg
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