Stuffed Clams with Chorizo & Cream Sherry
Redolent with the flavors of the sea, these next-level littleneck clams are stuffed with a mixture of panko, spinach, and Mexican-style chorizo before being baked until golden and hot. To make them even more special, the filling is laced with cream sherry and just a touch of heavy cream. Serve them as hors d’oeuvres, or pair them with a big green salad for a divine dinner.
If you’re like me, any time you have a chance to eat stuffed clams, you take it! While they’re very popular in Italian restaurants, they’re easy to make at home, and pretty versatile too. I’ve served them as a low-key starter for dinner with friends, and also as a main course with a big green salad. Stuffed clams have a bit of a “wow” factor, so they’re great for parties, too. When I make them, I stray a little from the classic Italian flavors by including Mexican chorizo, which lends the clams a smoky meatiness that I love. You can use sweet or spicy Italian sausage if chorizo doesn’t appeal.
A Brief Stuffed Clam Cooking Class
These tasty bivalves come with a bit of baggage from their maritime days, meaning they can be sandy and a bit gritty. This is easy to fix! We call this the purge or purging. Fill a large bowl with about 1 gallon of cold water and mix in 1/3 cup of salt. Soak the unopened clams for about 30 minutes. Using a scrub brush, give the clams a good scrub under running water. Throw away any clams that are open or that have chipped shells. Sometimes, I use my OXO salad spinner to soak clams because their sand sinks through the spinner’s basket to the bottom of the bowl.
Once the clams are steaming in the pot, you want to remove them as they open, or they can get overcooked. Use a sturdy pair of tongs to transfer the opened clams to a plate, and once they’re finished, discard any unopened clams.
Mexican vs Spanish Chorizo for Stuffed Clams
Take note: not all chorizo is the same, my friends! Mexican chorizo is fresh, meaning it’s seasoned raw meat. It is typically made with ground pork, dried chiles, vinegar and a variety of spices. You can buy it in the refrigerated section of most markets, near the other meats and fresh sausages.
Spanish chorizo, on the other hand, is a cured, hard sausage, like salami. Pimentón (Spanish paprika) gives it its characteristic reddish hue and smoky flavor. It can be smoked or unsmoked and sweet or spicy. It’s sold in links, which can be sliced for a charcuterie board or diced to use in stews and paella.
I also like to use Portuguese linguiça for clam “stuffies.” I developed this version of Stuffed Clams with Linguiça and Arugula for Food & Wine a few years ago.
What is the Heck is the Cream Sherry in these Stuffed Clams?
Cream sherry is a fortified sherry that’s sweeter than other sherries. Despite its name, it has no cream. It’s silky and rich with notes of caramel, thereby earning its name. It’s a great dessert wine and can be used in dishes that require a touch of sweetness, like these clams. I really like using Harveys Bristol Cream because it’s full-bodied with just the right amount of sweetness.
Stuffed Clams with Chorizo & Cream Sherry
Ingredients
- 24 littleneck clams, scrubbed
- 1 cup clam juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup finely chopped red onion
- ½ cup finely chopped celery
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 oz. Mexican-style chorizo , (fresh)
- 6 tablespoons Harveys Bristol Cream Sherry
- ½ cup packed baby spinach, chopped
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- ½ cup panko
- ¼ cup packed parsley, finely chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Combine the clams and clam juice in a pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook until the clams open, 5 to 7 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the clams to a plate; discard any clams that did not open. Avoiding any sand or grit, scoop out and reserve ¼ cup of the cooking liquid.
- Remove the clams from the shells and transfer to a cutting board, then finely chop. Separate the shells and arrange the bottoms on a large rimmed baking sheet; discard the top shells.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large skillet, melt the butter in the olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the chorizo and cook, breaking up the meat, until the fat is rendered, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the cream sherry and simmer until reduced by half, about 2 minutes.
- Stir the chopped clams, spinach, heavy cream, and the reserved cooking liquid into the chorizo mixture; cook until hot and the spinach is wilted. Remove from heat and stir in the panko and parsley until well mixed. Season the stuffing with salt and pepper; let cool.
- Divide the stuffing evenly in the shells on the baking sheet and cover with foil. Bake until hot, about 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for about 5 minutes more, until tops are lightly browned. Serve hot or warm.
