Freeze Clams Casino
If you’ve never participated in a summer clambake (the likes of which are hugely popular in the Northeast region of the US), then you’re really missing out. Clams are incredibly easy to cook (they turn out delicious after steaming quickly) and you can serve them in all kind of different ways: by themselves, in a broth, and even stuffed and baked.
Can You Freeze Clams?
By far, the best way to use clams is to buy them and cook them on the same day. You really can’t beat fresh seafood. But we get it – sometimes that’s just not an option. Especially if you live somewhere that’s not near the coast with a plentiful supply of fresh clams coming in daily. And in that case, you do one of two things: you buy them already frozen (in which case this blog post is irrelevant for you) or you purchase them live and freeze them for future use. This begs the question: “can you freeze clams”?
Photography by Angel Tucker.CLASSIC RHODY DISH: Clams Casino Digging up the dish’s history with a recipe from Matunuck Oyster Bar. The origins of clams casino are debatable, but theory suggests that the dish was first introduced at the Narragansett Pier Casino. According to Kate Vivian, coordinator at the Towers, then-chef Julius Keller cited in his 1939 memoir, Inns and Outs. Genre Trillwave Comment by Frederick Panciroli. Text me on the phone she said her panties still leaking. 2020-10-03T03:53:05Z Comment by myBallzNmyWord+. 2012 🙌🏾😎 2020-10-01T21:24:29Z. I had 6 doz fresh clams in fridge vegtable bin for 4 weeks by keeping a moist towel over top and little water on bottom, bottom clams froze to bin, thawed out and steamed all opened made clams casino, very good and tasty, so i suggest if any doubts do your own freeze test on a few fresh clams. Make-ahead clams casino: The clams can be thawed and topped ahead of time, refrigerated, and broiled when guests arrive. Using smaller clams: You can use cherry stone or little neck clams instead of top necks, just use twice as many, skip cutting the clam in half, and discard half the shells. The recipe for clams casino originated right here in Rhode Island in the early 1900s at the Casino at Narragansett Pier. Here’s a great recipe for clams casino with lots of delicious bacon, clams onions, sweet peppers, garlic, herb stuffing and a dash of Gansett.
Now, clams can be a little tricky. We’ve all heard the tip about how to know which clams are good and which should be tossed. Fresh clams should have closed shells. Any shells that are already open before you freeze them are dead and should be thrown out and not used.
The remaining closed shell clams can now be prepared for freezing. The first thing you should do is rinse the clams in cool water. Don’t rinse them in warm or hot water as that will cause the clam shells to open, and you want them closed for freezing. Once you’ve rinsed them off, package them in an airtight moisture resistant bag (make sure to get all of the air out) and freeze. Clams in the shells should last around three months stored this way.
How to Use Frozen Clams
When you’re ready to unfreeze them for cooking, simply place them under cool running water and then use them immediately once they’re unfrozen. Once you’ve unfrozen them, clams cannot be re-frozen, so make sure that whatever you thaw out, you’re going to use. Otherwise, you’ll need to toss them.
Do you have any tips for how to freeze clams? Or want to share your favorite clam recipe? Share them with us in the comments below!
Well, another Christmas has come and another Christmas has gone. I hope everyone had as great of a holiday as we did! And now that we’ve had a moment to breath after all of our Christmas festivities, I’m look forward to New Years. New Years Eve, to me, is more about relaxing and eating delicious things than it is getting all dolled up and going out. Sure, those days were fun, but I prefer a nice, quiet entrance into a the new year. With that in mind, I’m certainly not above getting a little decadent with my New Years Eve food. Why not send the old year out with a bang? And these Clams Casino that I’m going to tell you about today certainly fit the bill!
This is a recipe that my Uncle Richard would make each year around the holidays. Are they healthy? Not a chance. Are they delicious? Absolutely. And even better, they’re insanely easy to make and are even meant to be made ahead and frozen. Which makes these Clams Casino even more of a win. Because we all know about my penchant for simple, easy foods.
Now the original recipe had way more butter and less clams, but I’m not trying to give anyone a heart attack before we even start the new year! So I cut down the butter a bit and got a little excited when adding clams. What can I say. It’s a celebration!
Now we typically serve these in the clam shells and then wash and save the clam shells for future batches of Clams Casino. Of course last year, my sister “accidentally” threw out the shells. So I picked up twenty five little neck clams and steamed them off with water and a bay leaf. Because come on guys, I don’t need the hassle of shucking clams and neither do you. Once they all opened up, it was super easy to remove the clams and separate the shell halves. And I had about a can’s worth of chopped clams to add to the mix.
Can You Freeze Clams Casino
I like to enjoy these little guys with a generous squeeze of lemon. This makes enough to fill around 50 clam halves and while it broils up just fine right after you mix it, this recipe is actually meant to be frozen and broiled directly from the freezer. Either way they taste good, but I like the texture a bit better when they’re been frozen (and the whole make-ahead aspect.
Uncle Richard’s Clams Casino
Source: Richard Scuteri
Ingredients:
- 2 sticks of butter (the original recipe called for 4 but pump the breaks there, Paula Deen, 2 is plenty)
- 1 jar of pimentos (the original recipe called for 2 but once again, 1 was plenty)
- 2 onions, chopped
- 4 stalks of celery, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups of seasoned bread crumbs
- 5 cans of clams, drained (the original recipe called for 4, but when it comes to clams, I say the more the merrier!)
- 1/2 cup of Romano or Parmesan cheese
Melt your butter on the stove over medium heat.
While the butter melts, mix up your pimentos, onions and celery in a food processor until they are well combined (they should make a wet mixture).
Add you melted butter to the vegetable mixture and combine well with your clams and bread crumbs.
Spoon the mixture into your clam shells, and pat to smooth the tops.
If you’re broiling them right away: place them under the broiler for a good 10 minutes or until well browned on top and cooked through
If you’re freezing: Freeze them on a pan individually and once they’re frozen through transfer them to a ziplock back until you’re ready to broil. When you make them, Place them on a pan and broil for 10-15 minutes or until well browned on top.
Note: Keep an eye on them under the broiler, because every oven is different. You’ll want them to brown well but not burn. This recipe makes enough to fill 50 little neck clam shell halves.
Enjoy!
Make it a meal!
A few great recipes to round out and complete this meal are:
You can find a full index of my recipes here.
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