I had some shrimp toast while dining out over the summer and for some reason the recipe just kind of lingered in the back of my mind. I think it was the combination of thick cut chewy bread, the flavorful sauce and the presentation of the shrimp toast itself that made me know I had to make my own version.

TOAST.

You can put anything on toast and it’s one of those things that no matter what you put on it, toast is always going to be a great meal. And clams are always a great thing too, as its a shellfish that is versatile and takes to a lot of simple or complex flavors very well. When clams and toast meet, you will get a briney, buttery, sop up with extra toast dish that can be made during the week for dinner or its a great dish to have amongst friends on a fab weekend.

See: Ricotta Toast w. Persimmons & Prosciutto HERE

Clam Toast

3 cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced

1/4 white onion, minced

2 pounds of little neck clams, rinsed

1 can of whole clams, juice saved and set aside

the zest of 1 lemon & the juice of 2 lemons

1/2 bunch of parsley, cleaned, dried and chopped

butter

oil

1.5 cup of stock or water 

half -n-half, optional

salt

pepper

sliced thick cut bread, I recommend a boule loaf

DIRECTIONS:

-Open canned clams and strain liquid in a separate bowl and set aside.

-Slice your bread into thick slices, drizzle with a little olive oil and toast in the oven.

-Rinse fresh clams in cold water and sort through them making sure that all clams are closed and discarding any cracked or open shells.

In a large sauce pan with a cover, heat a small amount of oil over a medium flame and sauté onions and garlic until translucent. Once onions and garlic are translucent, add in your clams, about 1.5 cups of water or broth if using and cover with the lid. Allow liquid to boil and clams to open up, about 10-12 minutes depending on the size of your clams. Once all of your clams have fully opened, remove clams from the skillet and set aside while leaving the remaining clam liquid in the sauce pan over medium heat. Next, add in additional reserved clam juice, chopped canned clams, and half n half if using, and reduce the liquid by half. Once your sauce is reduced, stir in cold butter, season with your desired amounts of salt, pepper, lemon juice , some lemon zest and parsley. Add clams back in the sauce, toss and keep on a low simmer. Place your toasted slice of bread on a plate and spoon clams and clam sauce over bread. Garnish with remaining lemon zest and parsley and serve immediately.