Party food is an art form. You have to find dishes that are creative, well executed and that will feed a room full of people without much work. I know not everyone is a seafood lover, but if you happen to be hanging out with some seafood people, baked clams are an essential starter to any party. Why? Well, because they are easy to make, it’s a unique dish (opposed a pig in a blanket or hummus and pita), and give they give off “elevated chef” vibes.
There are many ways to stuff clams, but I’m going with a traditional breaded clam.We aren’t adding fun things like pancetta and vegetables…instead, we are letting the clam speak for itself with a little *encouragement* from some bread crumbs tossed with garlic, herbs and an absolutely beautiful white wine tarragon butter sauce.
All in all, this takes 30 minutes. And that really is the same-ish depending on how many you are making. 10 minutes are dedicated to letting the clams open up, then you stuff them and broil them for another 5-10. Truly so simple and truly so delicious.