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About Stuffed Quahogs

What to do with a full basket of quahogs? Eat them raw, steam or fry them. Make a chowder. Yeah, you've been there. 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. You'll be so glad you did.

About Bea Viera

Bea is the mother of 7 children. Can't think of a better test kitchen than hers. She has perfected many delicious recipes, some of which she has been kind enough to share with how2heroes. Bea is also somewhat of a prodigy. She paints and plays the piano and guitar beautifully, having had little-to-no training. She is a true Renaissance woman and an inspiration to us all.

Recipe

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

Make sure all quahogs are closed tightly. If any are open, throw them away
Preheat oven to 350º
Steam quahogs in about 1" of boiling water until they open. Reserve liquid and strain
Remove quahogs from shells, clean and reserve shells. Finely chop quahogs or grind in food processor. Set aside
Saute onions, garlic and red pepper in butter and olive oil until onions are translucent
Add linguica and saute for 2 minutes longer and set mixture aside
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
Fill shells with mixture, forming a nice rounded top and sprinkle with paprika
Bake at 350º for 15-20 minutes (or cook in a microwave for 1¼ minutes)

Optional - Top each cooked quahog with a pad of butter!

Note - Stuffed quahogs freeze well wrapped in freezer bags. Increase cooking time accordingly or thaw in the refrigerator before cooking