Stove Top Smoker Smoked Clams On The Half Shell With Casino Butt Food

STOVE TOP SMOKER SMOKED CLAMS ON THE HALF SHELL WITH CASINO BUTT

Steps:

• To make the casino butter, beat the butter, bacon, red pepper, parsley, lemon juice, Worcestershire, and black pepper together in a small bowl. The butter can be prepared up to three days in advance and refrigerated or frozen up to 1 month. Bring the butter to room temperature about 1 hour before smoking the clams. The butter should be very soft so it melts easily when spooned on the clams.
• Line the bottom of a 9 x 11-inch aluminum foil tray with an even 1/2-inch layer of rock salt.
• Nestle the clams on their half shells into the salt to keep them level during smoking.
• Set up the smoker using the wood chips and smoke the clams over medium heat until they are cooked through and tinged with brown, about 12 minutes, after closing the top.
• Remove the smoker lid and drop about 1/2 teaspoon of the butter onto each clam. Let them.
• sit a minute until the butter starts to melt, then transfer them carefully to serving plates or a warm platter. Serve immediately.

RAW CLAMS ON THE HALF SHELL

Steps:

• Scrub the clams under cold water with a stiff brush to remove the dirt. Next, find a durable thick cloth and fold it over several times to create a square; this will steady the clams as you shuck them and also protect your hand. Using the towel as a mitt, hold the clam firmly in the palm of your towel-covered hand; have a small bowl handy to catch the delicious juice. Insert the tip of a clam or oyster knife between the shell halves, and work it around one side to the other as you pry it open. Using the knife, cut the muscles away from the top shell, bend the shell back, and discard it. Run the knife underneath the clam to detach it completely, but leave it in its shell (take care not to cut the meat itself.) Tip out the clam juice into the bowl and pour it back over the shucked clams. Nestle the clams in a bed of crushed ice or rock salt to keep them steady. Spoon the cucumber mignonette on top and serve as part of a raw shellfish bar.
• In a small bowl, combine the rice wine vinegar, shallots, ginger, cucumber, black pepper, and cilantro; mixing with a fork. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour or up to the day before you plan to serve, to allow the flavors to come together. Serve with raw oysters and clams.

GRILLED CLAMS ON THE HALF SHELL WITH BACON, GARLIC, AND HOT PEPPER

Steps:

• Preheat grill to high.
• Place a medium saute pan over medium-high heat, add the bacon and cook until lightly golden brown. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and continue cooking until the bacon is crisp. Remove from the heat, stir in the olive oil, parsley, and bread crumbs and season with black pepper, to taste.
• Top clams with bacon mixture and place on the grill. Grill for about 1 minute or until just cooked through. Serve immediately.

STEAMED CLAMS ON THE HALF SHELL

Steps:

• In a large pan heat butter and oil.
• Saute shallots 2 minutes add garlic give a couple stirs then add white wine simmer 5 minutes or till reduced in half.
• Add can diced tomatoes.
• Add seasonings and bring to boil.
• Add frozen clams just to heat.
• Place on a platter and drizzle olive oil over clams.
• Garnish with parsley.
• Serve with a nice fresh crusty bread.
• Or toss clams into cooked pasta for a meal.

SMOKED CLAMS RECIPE

Steps:

• Gather about 4 gallons of littleneck clams. Keep them in salt water for a couple of days, changing the water every day. Place them on a grill or barbecue and cook until they open. This tends to make your barbecue a bit messy. Remove meat. Or, place the clams in a large pot 1/4 full of boiling water and steam them open. Remove meat. The mesh, or gap, on the racks of the smoker needs to be small enough that the clams can't fall through. Some people use stainless steel or aluminum screens. Others simply cover the racks with aluminum foil and punch holes through it. Place clams fairly densely on racks. Use your favorite smoking chip (we use alder) and smoke for 1 to 2 hours. One hour gives a very light smoke flavor. The clams are already cooked, this step is simply to add flavor. Do not over smoke or the clams will dry out and become chewy. Get out the instructions for your pressure canner. Place smoked clams in canning jars (we find 1/2-pint jars work best) and cover with a vegetable oil (we use olive oil). Place the caps on and then pressure can according to the instructions on your canner. Remove from canner and enjoy. The smoked flavor of the clams intensifies as the jars age. These clams should be moist and smoky. They can be used as appetizers on crackers, in poultry dressings, or in soups such as split pea or clam chowder. This recipe yields ?? servings. Caution: Remember, Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) is always a concern whenever you eat wild harvested clams or mussels.

STOVE TOP SMOKER OYSTERS VANDERBILT

Steps:

• In order to keep the oysters steady during broiling, line a small (about 9 x 11-inch) baking dish with rock salt or coarse sea salt. See notes.
• Smoke the oysters (see related recipe) and cool to room temperature.
• While the oysters are smoking and cooling prepare the filling. Heat the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat until foaming. Stir in the shallot, season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook until wilted and bright green, about 2 minutes. (if using frozen spinach, squeeze out as much water as possible before adding to the pan and cook just until heated through).
• Sprinkle the vermouth over the spinach and cook until evaporated. Pour in the heavy cream, adding the nutmeg, and bring to a boil. boil until the cream is reduced by about half and thickened. While the spinach mixture is still warm, taste it and add salt and pepper as necessary. Cool to room temperature.
• When cool enough to handle, nestle the oysters in their shells into the rock salt so that they are level. Spoon the spinach mixture over the oysters, dividing it evenly and spreading.
• with the back of a spoon to cover the entire oyster. Stir the breadcrumbs and Parmesan together in a small bowl and sprinkle the mixture over the oysters.
• Set the rack about 5 inches from the broiler and preheat the broiler. Broil the oysters until the edges are bubbling and the tops are golden brown, about 3 minutes. Rotate the pan under the broiler as necessary to brown the oysters evenly. Serve immediately.
• Notes:.
• Using rock salt to steady clams or oysters on the half shell during broiling is an old restaurant trick. You can duplicate the steadying effect of rock salt with aluminum foil. Tear off a sheet of foil about 2inches longer than your broiling pan. Crumble it lightly. then fix it into the bottom of the broiler pan. Press the oysters and clams into the wrinkles of the crumpled foil to keep them from tipping during broiling.

STOVE TOP SMOKER OYSTERS ON THE HALF SHELL

Steps:

• Put the wood chips in the bottom of the smoker.
• Replace the bottom tray, and set in the rack.
• Lay the oysters in the half shell on the smoking rack.
• Start the oysters over medium heat and lower the heat slightly once the smoker lid is closed.
• Smoke until the oysters are very lightly colored and firm, but still plump and moist, 9 minutes over the heat after closing the smoker lid and about 6 minutes off the heat with the smoker lid closed.
• Check the oysters for doneness after they have been off the heat 5 minutes.
• Serve right from the smoker or drizzle them with melted butter and pass lemon wedges, a pepper mill, and a bottle of hot red pepper sauce.
• Or prepare your favorite stuffed oyster recipe, fold into a spinach omelet, or try them in Oysters Vanderbilt (see related separate recipe).