BAKED CLAMS

By á-6498

Ingredients

• 2 cups fine soft bread crumbs
• 36 littleneck clams, in half shell
• 8 strips bacon, coarsely chopped
• Paprika
• Lemon wedges
• 2 tbsp olive, or salad oil
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 small clove garlic, very finely chopped

Preparation

Step 1

Heat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. In bowl, combine bread crumbs, 1 1/2 tsp paprika, salt, oil and garlic. Arrange clams in half shell in shallow baking dish Spoon some of crumb mixture on each clam. Sprinkle each clam with some of the chopped bacon; sprinkle lightly with additional paprika. Bake, uncovered, about 25 minutes, until bacon is crisp. Serve with lemon wedges. Makes 6 servings.
5OTE: THERE ARE 2 GENERAL VARIETIES OF CLAMS: SOFT-SHELL CLAMS - SMALL AND OVAL IN SHAPE, USED PRIMARILY FOR STEAMING. HARn-SHET.L CLAMS LARGE AND ROUNDED, USED FOR CHOWDER AND OFTEN SERVED RAW OH THE HALF SHELL THEY ARE AVAILABLE ALONG BOTH SEACOASTS.