Baked Clams with Garlic Butter
Ingredients
- 36 littleneck clams
- ¼ pound butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped garlic
- 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped green onion, including tops
- ½ cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- ¼ cup fresh breadcrumbs
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Rock salt
Directions
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Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
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Scrub clams thoroughly with a stiff brush under cold, running water. Open clams and discard top shell.
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Combine butter, garlic, green onion, parsley, wine, crumbs, salt, pepper and half the Parmesan. Blend until smooth.
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Place clams on the half shell in a bed of rock salt in a cooking pan. Spoon butter mixture evenly over clams. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and bake until clams are done and cheese is melted, about 6 to 8 minutes.
SEA FACT The shells of the hard clam, Mercenaria mercenaria, were ground up and used by Algonquin tribes to make beaded necklaces used as wampum. Look for the violet-purple interior portion of the shell the next time you’re at the beach!
