Clams Appetizer Recipes

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Clams make great appetizers and here are our favorite clam appetizer recipes. Got a favorite not listed here? Send it to us and maybe we can add it to the list!

The most famous clam appetizer is clam dip, or at least the most ubiquitous. To this day, next to the guacamole, sliced Vermont cheddar and Ritz crackers appears a brownish-white treat often in its original tub, at least at better parties. Even better, if you make your own.

Clam Dip

 

Drain clams, saving the broth or liquor. Allow cheese to warm to room temperature. Combine all ingredients except the potato chips and the broth, and blend into a paste. Add ¼ cup of the liquor or 1/8 cup of broth, beating it in until the mix reaches the consistency of whipped cream. Chill for thirty minutes. Serve with Lay’s or comparably subtle potato chips so as not to mask the clam taste.

A famous and easy-to-make appetizer is Clams Casino. It is best with seafood, but perfectly OK before a steak dinner too.

Clams Casino


Shuck the cherrystones, discarding the top shell then scooping beneath each meat to detach it from the bottom shell. Leave the meats in place. Arrange clams on baking sheet on top of tin foil in rows. Cut bacon into one-inch strips. Melt butter in saucepan, then sauté some chopped garlic in it. Paint each clam meat lightly with the garlic butter, then lay the strips of bacon on top of each meat. Roast clams at 450 degrees. When bacon is crispy, remove sheets from over. Allow to cool at least ten minutes before serving.

There are plenty of variations on making Clams Casino, and all ingredients seem optional except for clams and bacon! Here is a picture of one of ours, with shallots, red peppers, herbs, and white wine.

Steamed clams are a great start to a lobster or fish dinner. Steamed clams are simple to serve and only take about 20 minutes from start to finish.

Steamed ClamsSteamed Clams


Soak clams overnight in salt water, to allow them to spit out particles of sand. Wash clams thoroughly, scraping with a soft-bristled brush as needed to remove seaweed and mud. Add water to a steamer pot, and bring to a full boil. Add the clams. When all or most of the clams’ shell have opened, remove from heat. Serve with melted butter to taste. The clam broth is excellent served in mugs.

Of course you may have your own favorite clam appetizer recipes. Let us know!

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