The classics! One of my earlier cooking jobs was at a restaurant on a docked boat serving high end continental cuisine... old school. I was the pantry cook and prepared shrimp cocktail, herring appetizers, oysters and clams on the half shell, clams oreganata, clams casino etc.. I opened a lot of fresh clams in those days! That waterfront kitchen taught me that you cannot shortcut freshness when it comes to seafood.
Why Fresh Shucking Matters
- Natural clam liquor: Retains the essential salty, briny juices that flavor the entire breadcrumb filling.
- Superior texture: Freshly shucked clam meat remains tender and succulent, never rubbery or tough.
- Authentic presentation: Using the pristine, natural half-shells creates a beautiful, rustic plating style
Clams Oreganata and Casino
Baked clams are always best when the clams are opened freshly and filled. Shucking them right before cooking preserves their natural liquor, ensuring the filling stays incredibly moist.
This recipe is a timeless seafood classic featuring fresh chopped clams, seasoned breadcrumbs, and garlic, baked until hot and crispy for oreganata or minced peppers, onions, bacon, herbs and butter for Casino.
Whether you prefer the herby breadcrumb crunch of Oreganata or the smoky richness of Casino, starting with live shellfish transforms this dish from a basic appetizer into a true restaurant-quality experience.
Prep Time: 40 min
Cooking Time: 10 min
Yield: 4 portions
Ingredients Clams Casino
1/2 Cup Bacon, chopped (about 4-5 slices)
¼ cup Spanish Onion, chopped fine
1/2 cup Green, Red, Yellow Bell Peppers, chopped fine
1 clove Garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
2 tsp. Italian Parsley, fresh (washed and chopped)
1 Tbsp. Butter,lightly salted
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
t.t. Black pepper
tt. Red pepper flakes
16 ea Littleneck clams
1/2 Cup. Italian Breadcrumbs
Ingredients Clams Oreganata
1 clove Garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated, optional
2 tsp. Italian Parsley, fresh (washed and chopped)
2 tsp Oregano, fresh, minced
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
t.t. Black pepper
16 ea Littleneck clams
1 Cup. Italian Breadcrumbs
4 Tbsp. Olive oil
How to prepare Clams Casino
Casino ingredients
Oreganata ingredients
Step 1 Cleaning and purging clams
I always scrub the outside shells of the clams to get rid of mud (with a soft scrubby pad under cold running water. I often purge clams by simply soaking in cool water for about 60 minutes to get sand or bugs out. Some people put salt or corn meal into the water-I do not.
Step 1 Casino
Heat the bacon in a hot pan to begin crisping, add the peppers, onions and garlic; cook until tender. There is plenty of fat in the bacon to cook the vegetables, no need to add oil. Place the butter into a bowl, add the warm bacon and vegetables over the butter and stir to melt the butter. Add grated cheese, chopped parsley, salt and peppers. Taste and adjust seasoning. Cool before stuffing clams to bake.
Step 2 Oreganata
Mix the olive oil, chopped garlic, oregano, Italian parsley, salt and pepper into plain breadcrumbs until evenly blended. It should resemble wet sand.
Step 3
While the casino filling is cooling, open 16 clams on the half shell, being careful to reserve the clam juice; cut the muscle so the clam meat comes out easily.
You can also open the clams by placing on a sheet tray and baking for 2 minutes until the clams begin to open. Don't cook the clams... just enough so they open a little-then using a clam knife, open them completely to stuff.
Step 4 Stuffing the 1/2 shell clams
Top each clam with a generous tbsp of filling (Casino or Oreganata) and place onto a sheet tray. Place in preheated oven (350 F); bake until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Enjoy!
Note: some people prefer to chop the clams or use canned clams... it's much better to use the whole clam for this recipe! You'll see.
