Stuffed Clams
Also known as “stuffies,” these stuffed clams, flavored with onion, celery, and green pepper, are a signature Rhode Island dish.
By Yankee Magazine|May 25 2022|
Coffee By Design | Portland, Maine
Photo Credit : Katherine KeenanAlso known as “stuffies,” these stuffed clams, flavored with onion, celery, and green pepper, are a signature Rhode Island dish.
When preparing clams, many prefer to remove the dark stomachs for aesthetic reasons. It’s also popular to bake the mixture in littleneck clam shells. You may also want to make a double batch so you can freeze half to keep on hand for unexpected company. Don’t have fresh clams? Canned clams substitute nicely.
SEE MORE:
Stuffed Clams | Rhode Island Food Specialty
75 Classic New England Foods
Guide to New England Steamed Clams
Yield:
Serves 6-8.Ingredients
1 cup chopped littleneck (quahog) clams and liquid
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash of black pepper
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
12 Ritz crackers, crushed
1 tablespoon butter, melted
Paprika
Instructions
Remove stomachs from clams and grind clams in a food mill or chop them by hand until you have 1 cup of clams and liquid.
Cook onion, celery, and green pepper in 4 tablespoons butter until vegetables are tender, but not brown.
Stir in flour, cheese, and seasonings. Add 1/4 cup of crushed crackers, and mix well.
Stir in clams with their liquid, and cook and stir until mixture is thick and bubbly. Divide mixture among 15 to 18 littleneck clam shells, or 10 to 12 larger clam shells, or spoon into a casserole dish (as a last resort).
Combine remaining crumbs and 1 tablespoon melted butter and sprinkle over filled shells. Sprinkle lightly with paprika.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve hot.
A New England all my life..one knows clams,little necks and quahogs are all different…..not at all the same….why do chefs put them in the same category?
The above comment is RIGHT on the money!
Preach it!!!
I’ll be making this for Good Friday night’s dinner. Would a touch of Old Bay be too much? I will let you know! Also, how about a few tiny bay scallops?
The smallest legally harvestable clams are called countnecks, next size up are littlenecks, then topnecks. Above that are the cherrystones, and the largest are called quahogs or chowder clams. All of these clams are quahogs, just at different stages in their life.
Nope… quahogs are the largest.. often called sea clams (the largest are now fished out)… otherwise you are correct… my family has been claiming in NE for generations, and I cooked at clam shacks in Hampton Beach and down the Cape during summer break.
Nope, sea clams are not quahogs, they are a different species found in the ocean. I am a Narragansett bay shellfish diver, and littlenecks, topneck, and quoahogs are all the same type of clam just different sizes of the species
and BTW they are not fished out,wish i could post pictures of one of my days catches
I personally think quahogs are sea clams so put a sock in it @chris m
Sea clams are NOT quahogs. My father made his living as a bullraker (a quahogger who uses a bull rake, and not a set of tongs) on Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island….the shell of a sea clam has none of the characteristics of a hard-shell clam in the “quahog” category, from count to chowder. That’s just the way it is.
So close to my recipe which I made tonight. I do not add worstershire, celery , Parmesan or flour. I use large quahogs , extra clam juice and a little wine!. If you want to you can also add cooked Portuguese sausage!
Luv this Recipe…Thx….the
How did it work out with the Old Bay? I wonder if there are places you can buy the empty clam shells to use when baking this.
Hey Christine, I actually saved the shells from the store bought Snows version (washed and sterilized of course), if you don’t want to do that…those mini cocottes work just as good in the oven.
can I steam the clams in wine first then follow inst.
I have found that the only “bad” stuffed Quahog aka clam is one with not enough quahogs or clams in it. I call them bread balls cause that’s what they taste like. I have tasted shellfish all over world and the New England Quahog tastes much different than the ones down South in Florida that they farm, same species but the warmer water makes for a more fishy and less sweet taste, I would still use those as they are the next best thing. I have actually used “steamer clams” or softshell, and they are delicious with a different taste profile. My family comes from Warwick, R.I and I go quahoging the same way I did 50 years ago as a kid, using my feet. I have been lucky only to suffer an occasional cut or scrape. I just went and dug a whole potful of them for chowder.
I have a seasonal clamshack in Eastham in Cape Cod. For the last three years we have won BEST SUFFIE ON CAPE COD. Next summer come try out stuffies and let’s see if you agree they are quite oossibly the best in New England
Would it be too much to ask if you could possibly share your recipe for your studies with me? I live In CT and would really like to try yours. Thank you..Susie
Born and brought up in New Bedford, Mass we knew these as stuff quahogs. We would add lingucia (Portuguese sausage) to the stuffing. Wonderful!!
Rhonda I would love your recipe. If you could email me the recipe bquirk0827@aol.com I would REALLY appreciate it!!
I have an old recipe made with white bread picked apart and poultry seasoning. A small piece of bacon and paprika sprinkled on top before baking
Marilyn I would love your recipe. If you could email me the recipe bquirk0827@aol.com I would REALLY appreciate it!!
I am from the Cape and remember the Linquica well. My father who has since passed sometime now would use that in his quahogs.
I would so much appreciate your recipe if you would not mind sharing.
Thanks much & “Happy Holidays”
Chuck
jcw19500@gmail.com
if I use bread crumbs how much should I use………..thank you
350g of italian breadcrumbs usually works best
Would it be possible to substitute minced calamari rings as an alternative to the clams?
In my experience calamari has little of its own flavor, so it would do little for this recipe. I often have cooked calamari with garlic and have had it stuffed with riccota and tomato sauce
Been digging “clams” for 55 years and making stuffies for 40. First, there are regional terms for quahogs and soft shell clams. In Maine, ‘clams’ are mostly thought of as “steamers” or soft shell clams. Steamers can not be used for stuffies, but are delicious in their own right (Steamed). In RI and most of Southeast Mass, they use ‘clams’ for Quahogs, or substitute the size designation (little necks, cherrystones, etc.) And they are the same species, and all delicious. When you eat the raw ones, smaller seems to be preferred for obvious reasons.
The published recipe is very similar to what a lot of people call clams casino. But they are delicious as well, so call ’em what you want. Most bar served stuffies are about as big as a 1/4-1/3 lb each, and overdone with bread. Your recipe is much better, so for those that have signed off on stuffies after eating one at a bar, don’t give up. RI is famous for equal portions of quahogs and chourice (hot) or linguice (mild) along with the celery and onion. I haven’t used green pepper, but might try that. I use Italian seasoned bread crumbs, but you can make your own with stale bread and spices. I don’t add butter; I mix it in a large chowder pot, and make fifty to a hundred at a time. I steam/boil the ‘clams’ in about a gallon of water to open the shells. Save all the liquid, lift the opened clams into a colander, separate meats and clean shells with a brush and set aside to stuff. Chop meats (scissors work great for this) and combine with ingredients in large mixing bowl. Add a cup of reserved liquid from the top of the reserved liquid in the cook pot. (the sand will settle to the bottom, let it stay there). Stir the mix and add as much clam liquid needed to make a moist mix. Stuff the shells with the mix, sprinkle paprika over the top, and bake at 350 for 25-30 or so minutes and test the top to see if it is crunchy, while inside should stay moist. You can cover for a while with loose foil, then broil to brown. let em cool and freeze in freezer bags to keep for several weeks. Chili sauce is nice on top. Good luck
That looks like a good recipe
Stuffed Large Sea Clams (quahogs, not little necks) are a staple all over the New England coast. I think the editors of this magazine (that I really enjoy) must be from New York… the quahog / little necks mistake is one they make in the NYTimes cooking section ( with the same response from Yankee locals).
I’m from New York and clam in Ninigret Pond every year for 30 years.. Best clams in the world. I agree, when you post an article, at least know the terminologies/lingo of what you’re writing about.
Sea Clams and Quahogs are two completely different clams, as are little necks and quahogs.
yes here on Long Island the big clams we call chowders and use them for baked clams, little necks are what you overpay for in Italian restaurants around here where they are served with oil, garlic and breadcrumbs. not chopped.
Agree
Being a stuffed clam junkie, these came out really good. I used topneck clams from Crab Dynasty, becuase I needed a good size shell. I topped with a little piece of backon like my Great Grandmother used to do! Thanks for sharing.
great recipe…followed direction to a “T”. .came out a little loose..I’ll try again
I make about 3 dozen or more at once in quahog shells. I go all out…use a bread stuffing , about 3 lbs canned chopped clams and plenty of seafood broth (best I can improvise here in Florida), onion and celery, old bay, chourico, and I like to add bay scallop and small shrimp, and of course heavy splash of white wine. Bake them in the shells (brought back me by snow bird friends every year). Fantastic….served with chowder. Everybody looks forward to our version of a taste of home.
I’m a new Florida transplant from Mass and I have not found anywhere that makes stuffed clams! I’ve never made them, and what you described sounds amazing. If you care to share your recipe I’d love it!
-Shannon-
SDKKMS@AOL.COM
Richard,
Yes… your amazing stuffed clams sound like these delightful stuffed treasures! If you wouldn’t mind sharing your recipe… I’d really enjoy those treasure treats!!!
I’m sorry I forgot my email:
iluvudonnie@gmail.com
Richard, I’m so happy you said chourico and not chorizo. The first is Portuguese and the second is Mexican. While I am neither I know the difference.
Looking for a recipe like Corrine b uses. Thank you
I live in Florida I would love to have that recipe to try could you send it to me kidscharity@msn.com
i make “stuffies” according to my own recipe and people always rave about them. I use Quahogs, which by the way, are getting harder and harder to find. i also use chorizo, onions, roasted red peppers, day old french bread, chopped quahog meat and steaming liquid as well as a few other goodies. Always rave reviews!!!
Please, please make a video of how you make stuffies. When I was in RI last I tried stuffies everywhere I went and none could beat the ones we had at a little bar in Jamestown. Narragansett Bar. I can’t wait to go back!!
Thanks for the recipe HOWever it printed the entire comment section. Thanks 5 pages.
Hi Judith. Unfortunately, we are unable to easily change the way recipes print. A solution may be to copy and paste just the text of the recipe into a Word document and print that at the size you prefer. Hope this helps, and we’re sorry for the inconvenience! Thanks and happy cooking!
Let me handle this “New England Today Food”. YOU’RE WELCOME for a FREE Judith B. … geez.
*recipe
Thanks for all of the recipes — love reading them — also learned so much — I now live in Maryland — BUT I miss my home in Mass. Yes we (people in MD) put Old Bay on just about everything. It’s good stuff !
Quahogs are hard shell bi-val mollusks. Classic are soft shell long neck mollusks. The terms for Quahogs : count, cherrystones, little necks, top counter, chowder, exct are determined by the age and size of the Quahog. Seaclams are not Quahogs they are large clams. I am a RI native who as a teen worked on a boat. I had a set of rings to sort the Quahogs by size. Per the Coast Guard this were subject to inspection and you were limited to the amount based on size hence the names.
??? Made a living clamming…. quahogs wash up on the shore of the OCEAN after a storm… cherrystones,,,necks… and chowder clams are what we pull out of the mud on the bayside….and for everyone ARGUING about the difference between all the different types of clam….just shut up and ENJOY the DELICIOUSNESS of all different varients…Mmmmm mmm mmm
I want to make 4 Christmas Eve can I make
Ahead & freeze in container & bake on Eve Thks
Of course! That’s what I’m doing. Beats the frozen store bought
I am anative Rhode Islander and I totally agree with Chris M. Sea Clams are definitely not quohogs. Their shells are even shaped different. They are like large steamer shells.