Clams Casino: Rhode Island's 1917 Casino Classic

Clams Casino is the great baked clam of the New England shore — littleneck clams on the half shell topped with bacon, roasted peppers, and buttered garlic breadcrumbs, broiled until the bacon crisps and the crumbs turn gold. According to Wikipedia, clams casino is a dish that originated in Rhode Island in the United States and is often served as an appetizer in New England and in variations nationally. As Merriam-Webster records, the recipe was devised in 1917 by the maître d' and restaurateur Julius Keller for Mrs. Paran Stevens at the Little Casino (the Narragansett Pier Casino) in Narragansett, Rhode Island. Eater notes that Keller claimed to have first served the littlenecks topped with bacon and bread crumbs around 1917, to a patron who had simply requested clams.

The dish is built in layers on the half shell: a fresh littleneck, a spoon of the pepper-bacon-garlic butter, a cap of buttered crumbs, and a strip of bacon across the top. Under the broiler the bacon renders into the clam, the crumbs crisp, and the whole thing arrives bubbling and fragrant — the taste of a Rhode Island summer.

About the Ingredients

Littleneck clams — small, fresh hard-shell clams; they are shucked and returned to the deep half shell for baking.

Bacon — a strip of smoky bacon laid across each clam; the rendered fat bastes the clam and is the defining flavor.

Peppers — roasted red and green bell peppers, finely diced, give the dish its sweetness and color.

Breadcrumbs — buttered, garlic-scented fresh crumbs form the crisp lid that protects the clam.

Ingredients (serves 6): - 18 fresh littleneck clams, scrubbed - 6 strips bacon, cut crosswise into thirds - 1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced - 1/2 green bell pepper, finely diced - 1/4 cup finely diced onion - 3 garlic cloves, minced - 3 tbsp butter, melted - 1 cup fresh white breadcrumbs - 2 tbsp dry white wine - 1 tbsp lemon juice - Salt and black pepper to taste - Lemon wedges, to serve

Instructions: Shuck the clams over a bowl, catching the liquor; sever the muscle and leave each clam on the deep half shell. Strain and reserve the clam liquor.

In a skillet, render a few bacon pieces until the fat is released; add the peppers, onion, and garlic and sauté until soft, 3–4 minutes. Deglaze with the wine and 2 tbsp of the reserved clam liquor; cook until nearly dry. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Combine the pepper mixture with the melted butter and breadcrumbs. Top each clam with a spoonful of the mixture and lay a piece of bacon across the top. Arrange the clams on a bed of rock salt in a baking pan. Broil 5–7 minutes, until the bacon is crisp and the crumbs are golden. Squeeze lemon over and serve at once.

The Mimosa Pairing Logic: The smoky, briny, bacon-topped clams want a bright, refreshing drink that can cut the richness and echo the sea. A classic Champagne mimosa is the safe and perfect choice — the citrus lifts the bacon fat, and the wine's effervescence refreshes the briny palate. A grapefruit rosemary mimosa is equally lovely, the bitter citrus a beautiful bright partner for the clams. This pairing is, in its way, the brunch equivalent of clams casino and a cold lager on the Narragansett Pier — a sparkling toast to the Rhode Island shore.

Reference Links: - Clams Casino (Rhode Island origin, Julius Keller, 1917): Wikipedia - Clams Casino Definition & History (Merriam-Webster): Merriam-Webster - Digging Up the History of Clams Casino (Eater): Eater

Make-Ahead: The pepper-bacon-breadcrumb mixture can be prepared a day ahead and refrigerated; shuck and top the clams just before broiling. The dish must be broiled to order — the clams want to be hot, bubbling, and crisped at the moment of serving.

Pro Tips: Use the smallest, freshest littlenecks you can find; the clam is the whole point. Don't overcook — 5–7 minutes under the broiler crisps the bacon and cooks the clam through without toughening it. Lay the bacon strip across the top, not buried — it should render and crisp in the heat. Serve on rock salt, which holds the shells level and keeps them from spilling. Bring lemon wedges; the bright finish is essential.