Ingredients:
12 Top Neck Clams
1# Butter,unsalted, room temp, reserved for final mixing
1# Bacon, diced, reserve half for final assembly
½ cup Onion, small dice
½ cup Red Bell Pepper, small dice
¼ cup Garlic, chopped
½ tbsp Dry Herb Thyme
½ tbsp Ground Black Pepper
2 oz Chablis, or other dry white wine
1 oz Brandy
2 ea Lemon, juice of
½ cup Fresh Chopped Parsley, reserve one third for final plating
Method of Preparation:
Render half of the bacon until brown, remove half of the bacon grease.
Add the onions, peppers and garlic, allow to aromatize but not completely cooked. Add the Thyme, Chablis and Black Pepper, allow to cook for a couple of minutes, add Brandy and Lemon juice, remove from the heat and place on a sheet pan to cool to room temperature.
Using a mixer or hand mixer for the butter, blend smooth and soft. Add the cooled pepper mixture to the mixing bowl, add some of the Chopped Parsley and check the taste, sometimes I add more lemon.
Form this compound butter into cylinders (logs) the same size in diameter as the Clams. I’ll show you, use wax paper, it’s easy! Refrigerate or freeze the butter for final assembly and preparation.
Remember the Clams? Of course, now turn your oven on to 425 degrees or you can use the broiler function (stay in control.)
Open the clams ( you need a clam knife, I’ll show you) they must be nicely released from their shells.
Slice a disc of casino butter about a third of an inch thick and place it on each clam. Take the reserved diced raw bacon and press about a half ounce onto the butter, press it pretty good or it may not stay on through the cooking process.
Place Clams on a cooking tray (or a sauté pan) and bake for about 10 minutes depending on your firepower, make sure to let the bacon be brown and somewhat crisp.
When serving, remove the Clams to a plate and to the excess butter left in the pan add the reserved chopped parsley.
Pour the butter over the top of Casinos and serve.