Clams Casino

Spin and UncleBuck

Ingredients

• 12 Top neck clams	• 1/3 CupParmesan cheese - grated
• 2 Tbs Green bell pepper - diced small	• &#189 CupUnsalted butter - clarified
• 2 Tbs Red bell pepper - diced small	• 12 DashTabasco sauce
• 1 Tbs Shallot - diced small	• 2 Lemons
• 1 tsp garlic - diced small	• &#188 CupFresh parsley - minced fine
• 12 Pimiento pieces (¼ x 3/8	• 1 Mini muffin pan
• 3 Bacon strips - rendered
• &#189 Cup Monterey jack cheese - grated

Instructions

Render the bacon in a pan over low heat - do not cook (takes about 10 minutes). Remove, drain, cut each strip into 4 equal pieces, and set aside. Mix the peppers, shallot, and garlic together and set aside. Cut the lemons into 6 wedges each, set aside. Shuck the clams. Rinse the meat well, drain, and pat dry, set aside. Pick the 12 best ½ shells, thoroughly clean and dry. Clams tend to have some sand and mud in them and this should be removed.

Brush the inside and lip of the shells with butter and set level on the mini muffin pan. Add a dash of tabasco to each shell. Add a clam to each shell, pressing down to form a shallow well in the center. Place a pimiento in each well. Cover the clams with monterey jack cheese. Top each with 1+ tsp of the pepper mixture. Cover each with the parmesan cheese. Top each with the bacon, pressing down slightly to contain the casino mixture within the shell. Sprinkle with the parsley.

Prep your Egg to cook indirect at 450F. Allow time for your cooking setup to be fully heated before starting the cook.

Cook for 15 minutes and remove. Serve with lemon wedges and the remaining butter.

Notes

Top neck clams are one size smaller than cherrystone clams. I use them because they are always tender, where cherrystones can sometimes provide a tough chew. The unused shells can be preserved for future use by simmering in water until the meat stuck to the shell can be removed (30-45 minutes). Store wet (dry shells tend to flake pieces) in the freezer.

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