08/21/1994
RITZ STUFFIES

1 dozen quahog clams

For broth:
½ cup white wine
½ cup water
2 bay leaves
6 peppercorns, or ¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic
1 stalk celery, roughly chopped
5 or 6 sprigs of parsley
Juice of 1 lemon

For stuffing:
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup celery, finely chopped
½ cup red onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon garlic, chopped
¼ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
2 cups Ritz-cracker crumbs
¼ cup clam broth, well strained (reserved from above, after the clams are steamed)
¼ cup parsley, chopped
12 lemon wedges

Scrub and rinse the clams several times in fresh water. Place them in a heavy saucepan. Add the ingredients for the broth. Cover and steam over medium-high heat, until clams are fully opened (about 15 minutes). Remove clams from broth, and set broth aside to cool.

Remove the clam meat from the shells, and chop finely. Set aside. Separate the shells into 12 half-shells, and scrub them clean; dry them and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large skillet, melt the butter and add the finely chopped celery, the red onion, the garlic, the red-pepper flakes, and the Tabasco sauce. Simmer until celery and onions are wilted. Add the cracker crumbs, chopped clams, and ¼ cup strained clam broth; mix thoroughly. If too dry, add more broth, a tablespoon at a time.

Remove the stuffing from the heat, mix in the chopped parsley, and spoon the stuffing into the 12 cleaned half-shells. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the tops are browned and just beginning to crisp.

Serve immediately with the lemon wedges and more Tabasco sauce.