I am going to give you the long version of making clams oreganate by making your own breadcrumbs. They are the best. For some reason making them from scratch are so delicious!! Growing up in our Italian American family Christmas Eve table was never without out clams oreganate. Of course they were readily available in our restaurant!
Ingredients:
Garlic Bread
2 loaves of thin crusted french bread (the thicker crust is harder to make crumbs)
1/2 cup of Extra Virgin Olive OIl
4 cloves of garlic minced
3/4 tsp of oregano
4-5 turns of black pepper
Oreganate Crumbs
2 cups of breadcrumbs either from the garlic bread crumb recipe or store bought Italian flavored bread crumbs
3/4 chopped parsley
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Raw clams on the half shell*
*2 dozen clams serves four people but the oreganate stuffing is enough to stuff 4 dozen clams
Procedure:
For the Garlic bread
- Slice french bread
- Mix well 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil with minced garlic and dried oregano
- Brush olive oil mixture on all the slices of bread placing on 2 cookie sheets
- Toast in oven prewarmed at 325degrees for 30 minutes until golden brown and crisp to touch. If you want to make garlic bread for eating just toast under 2nd shelf under broiler until golden brown.
- You may eat some of the garlic bread but save some to make into breadcrumbs
For the Oreganate Bread Crumbs - To make breadcrumbs use a food processor or a blender. For best results make sure that the bread is crisp.
- To make sure there are no big chunks. Shake breadcrumbs thru a sieve and pulverize the big chunks again.
- Once all pulverized. Add 1/2 cup virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons of oregano and mix well and 3/4 cup of chopped parsley
- Add chopped parsley and mix well.
- Open the little neck clams making sure to not drain the clam water. Juicy clams are the best!
- Spoon bread crumb mixture onto clams. careful not to pack it down. It should be fluffy!
- Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and bake in 350 degree oven for 15 minutes and its ready to eat!
