Pepperoni and pimiento-stuffed clams

5
Points®
Total Time
26 min
Prep
15 min
Cook
11 min
Serves
2
Difficulty
Easy
Using fresh bread crumbs rather than store-bought dry bread crumbs really makes a difference here. Be sure to choose a firm-textured white bread that's preferably a day or two old. If the bread you have on hand is too fresh and soft, don't fret! All you have to do is let it stand, uncovered, at room temperature, for about 30 minutes until it has a chance to dry out a bit. This will make it easier to get good crumbs. They're then tossed together with softened shallots, pepperoni, pimiento peppers, garlic, parsley, and lemon zest. Stuff the clams with the breadcrumb mixture, broil until the crumbs are golden, and this impressive, flavorful appetizer is ready to go.

Ingredients

Olive oil

2 tsp

Shallot

2 Tbsp, chopped, minced

Turkey salami slice

2 slice(s), or turkey pepperoni, finely chopped

Canned pimento

2 tsp

Garlic

1 clove(s), minced

White bread

2 slice(s), firm, made into fine crumbs

Fresh parsley

1 Tbsp, chopped

Lemon zest

1 tsp

Uncooked clams with shell

1 pound(s), without shell, 12 little necks, scrubbed and shucked (half-shells reserved)

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add the shallot, pepperoni, pimientos, and garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, until the shallot begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the bread crumbs, parsley, and lemon zest.
  2. Preheat the broiler. Place a clam in each reserved half-shell and top with the crumb mixture.
  3. Place the stuffed clams in a broiler pan or jelly-roll pan. Lightly spray the clams with nonstick spray. Broil 4 inches from the heat until the crumbs are golden and the clams are just cooked through, 8–9 minutes. Serve at once. Yields 6 clams per serving.

Notes

A microplane grater does a wonderful job of removing the flavorful yellow part of the lemon peel without grating any of the bitter white pith that is underneath. The grater is available in cookware stores and some large supermarkets.