Stuffed Quahogs-With My Improvements

By amaliana

The International Quahog Festival is held every August in Charlestown. Thousands of people find their way to this quiet seaside community to pay homage to the humble quahog. This hard-shelled clam is devoured in all manners of recipes-in chowders that have red, white, or clear broths; in clam cakes; in garlicky pasta dishes; and most important, in stuffed quahogs, also known as "stuffies". A contest is always held to determine who makes the best stuffed quahog. Here is the winning recipe from the 1990 competition. The secret to making good stuffies is to mince the onion and peppers very finely. For the hot pepper sauce, many Rhode Island cooks prefer to use Rhode Island Red, a product made locally by Chef Linda Kane. Her "sauce with an attitude" is popular because its sweet heat does not overpower the food it seasons.

Ingredients

• 8 quahogs (1 dozen)
• 1 onion, finely chopped (large,in a food processor)
• 1 green pepper, finely chopped(in a food processor)
• 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped(in a food processor)
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 clove garlic, crushed (2 cloves)
• 1 cup fresh bread crumbs(whole grain, in food proceesor, at least 3 cups)
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 4 About 4 teaspoons grated Romano or Parmesan cheese(Parmesan)
• Additional butter, melted as needed for moistening
• Clam juice, as needed for moistening
• Lemon wedges and hot pepper sauce, as needed for seasoning

Details

Servings 24

Preparation

Step 1

To facilitate the opening of the quahogs, place the well-scrubbed clams in a pan in a moderate(350F) oven and heat until they open. Discard any that do not open. When cool enough to handle, remove the quahogs from their shells. Pour the liquid left in each clamshell into a bowl. Set aside the clamshells and the clam juice. Poach the quahogs for 3 minutes in simmering water. Chop the quahogs into pieces(in a food processor).
In a large frying pan, saute the onion and peppers in the butter until translucent. Add the garlic and cook over low heat another 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the chopped quahogs, an equal amount of fresh bread crumbs(2-3 times more) and the oregano. Add about 1/2 teaspoon grated cheese per clam. Moisten with additional melted butter and/or clam juice.
Preheat oven to 375F.
Separate the clam shells. Mound the stuffing into each clamshell half, and place them on a baking sheet. (Dot the tops with a little butter and a little Sweet Spanish Paprika). Bake in the oven until hot and slightly browned, approximately 20 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges and hot pepper sauce.