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Claudio’s Stuffed Quahogs by Jeanette Cataldo

Claudio’s Stuffed Quahogs
by Jeanette Cataldo

Chef's notes

Nancy and Jeanette’s dad Claudio was a chef at popular Italian restaurants in and around Boston’s North End. Jeanette has always had a passion for cooking and preserving his original recipes and family traditions. Preparing “Seven Fishes” served on Christmas Eve is an example.

She often crafts homemade potato and ricotta gnocchi, ravioli, other homemade pastas. Her Sunday Gravy, pesto, and Aglio e Olio are especially delicious.

One of my favorites is her Stuffed Quahog recipe modeled after her dad’s. It is systematically assembled with Ritz crackers, scallops, and a flavor base of chopped green pepper, garlic, and shallots.

The original recipe is for a large crowd. This is scaled down version and may need slight tweaking. Any extra, bake in Pyrex.

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Claudio’s Stuffed Quahogs by Jeanette Cataldo

Ingredients

8 live Quahogs
3-13 count sleeves of original Ritz cracker
½ green bell pepper
2 large garlic cloves
1 shallot.
1-pound bay scallops
1 can chopped clams
¼ cup olive oil
1 sticks butter
1 egg whisked
Salt and pepper
¼ pound bacon cut into 1-inch lengths
2 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

Instructions

Crush crackers in a zip lock bag or food processer.
Rinse clams and steam in a pint of water. Place clams in a bowl Immediately after they open. Strain all liquid and reserve. Once cool enough to handle, remove meat from clams and place in another bowl. Break shells in half.
Coarsely chop steamed clams in a food processor with some of the reserved clam water to make processing easier. Set aside.
Finely chop pepper, shallots, and garlic. Reserve. Puree ½ pound of the scallops with clam liquid, creating a paste.
In a large pan with high sides, melt butter and olive oil. Sauté chopped vegetables, pureed and whole scallops, and total contents of canned clams. Cook through while stirring, 8 to 10 minutes.
Place Ritz crackers in a large bowl. Mix with contents of sauté pan and with whisked egg. Fold in saved clam water until stuffing is sufficiently moistened enough to hold together but not overly wet.
Distribute clam meat equally among shells. Generously top with stuffing mix, cap each with bacon strips.
Bake in 425° oven for about 30 minutes, until stuffing is lightly browned and bacon slightly crisp. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

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