The Only Shells You Should Be Using For Perfect Stuffed Clams

Stuffed clams are that perfect mixture of homey flavors — like garlic, butter, and breadcrumbs — and elevated seafood. But making the perfect stuffed clams isn't as easy as stuffing whatever clams you have. There are more than 10 different types of clams, and you must choose the clam with the right type of shell for your stuffing needs. Luckily, Tasting Table caught up with Franklin Becker, the chef/owner of Manhattan seafood restaurant Point Seven, who shelled out some pretty top-notch advice. (See what we did there?)

"The top neck or cherrystone clam are perfect for making stuffed clams, but I prefer the smaller top neck," Becker told Tasting Table. Top neck and cherrystone clams are both hard-shell varieties of clams, which is essential if you plan on stuffing them. You need a clam shell that will withstand being scraped out, stuffed with a moist mixture, and baked in an oven without turning soft or brittle and breakable. Countneck and littleneck clams also have hard shells, but at about 1 to 1.5 inches wide, they're a little on the small side for stuffed clams.

Not all clams fit the bill. "I would not stuff razor clams or steamers," Becker said, "as the shell might break off into the breadcrumbs and cause a choking hazard." Steamers are best served steamed, as their name suggests, or fried whole after being removed from their shells. Razor clams are best known for their distinct long, thin shape, and they are often also steamed or grilled. But their shells are much too thin and fragile to work for stuffed clams. 

Stuffed clams is a catchall term for any variety of clam dish baked into a clam shell. The dish, which is quite popular throughout New England, usually consists of a base combination of clam meat, breadcrumbs, minced garlic and onion, butter, and spices, all stuffed into individual clam shells and baked in the oven.

Recipes differ — some include parmesan cheese or lemon zest. In Rhode Island, they're called clam stuffies, and traditional clams casino adds bacon and peppers to the mix. Clams oreganata are cooked with white wine, and the clams are left whole in the shell before being covered with the breadcrumb mixture as opposed to being made with chopped clam meat.

However you decide to go about making your stuffed clams, the most important thing you can do is thoroughly clean your clams before cooking to get rid of any sand or debris that may have made its way into the shells. To clean your clams properly and prep them for cooking, you need to make sure they are still alive. This means right away throwing out any clams with broken shells or shells that don't close when you tap on them. Then, you'll want to scrub the shells and soak your clams in very salty water, at least for a couple hours but ideally overnight. Once they're clean, you can get to cooking and stuffing!