How To: Make stuffed quahogs (stuffed clams)

Quahogs (or guahaugs) are hard-shelled, edible clams found primarily on the east coast of North America. They're known generally as just clam in the United States. But how do you eat them? And what's the best way to eat them? What do you do with a bucket full of quahogs?

Eat them raw, steam or fry them. Make a chowder. But how about stuffing them with linguica and sautéed aromatic vegetables? This recipe is a favorite of Bea's family. She used to make so many they'd be lined up on the counter, on the sink, on the refrigerator. After all, if you're lucky enough to have a basket of fresh quahogs and Bea's patience, why not make a day of it and stuff them all.

Ingredients:

Makes 15-20 Stuffed Quahogs

* 2 doz quahogs, scrubbed clean, minced or chopped in food processor
* 2 tbsp olive oil
* 2 tbsp butter
* 1 red bell pepper, chopped
* 1 large onion, chopped
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* ½ lb linguica, chopped
* 1 tsp salt
* ½ tsp pepper
* 1/8 tsp sage
* ¼ tsp thyme
* ¼ tsp allspice
* paprika for sprinkling on top
* 1 loaf Italian bread, cubed
* 1½ cups reserved liquid after steaming quahogs

How-To:

1. Make sure all quahogs are closed tightly. If any are open, throw them away
2. Preheat oven to 350º
3. Steam quahogs in about 1" of boiling water until they open. Reserve liquid and strain
4. Remove quahogs from shells, clean and reserve shells. Finely chop quahogs or grind in food processor. Set aside
5. Saute onions, garlic and red pepper in butter and olive oil until onions are translucent
6. Add linguica and saute for 2 minutes longer and set mixture aside
7. Shred bread in a food processor to breadcrumb consistency and place in a large bowl. Add vegetables, quahogs and enough of the reserved cooking liquid to combine all ingredients so that they will clump in your hand
8. Fill shells with mixture, forming a nice rounded top and sprinkle with paprika
9. Bake at 350º for 15-20 minutes (or cook in a microwave for 1¼ minutes)