The history of baked stuffed clams oreganata

An images of baked stuffed clams oreganata

Did you ever wonder how dishes like baked stuffed clams oreganata and clams casino were invented? Read on to find out

Growing up on the West Coast, I never had Baked Stuffed Clams or Clams Casino. Really, I never had great Italian food, but when I moved to New York City, that all changed. I remember one of my first meals at Don Peppe’s in Ozone Park. I never realized why people liked Italian food so much. But after this trip, I got it. We started with baked artichokes, a salad, and baked clams. I had never had anything like the clams before. They were garlicky, briney, and salty. It was like all of the flavor of a loaf of garlic bread was compressed into one mind-blowing bite. My friend taught me a trick of soaking the table bread in the clam juice to eat after you finish the clams. I was in love. We got Chicken Parm, Veal Don Antonio, and linguine and clams too. All were delicious, and you can read about the history of those dishes here, but for now, I want to talk about the history of baked stuffed clams oreganata.

Stuffed clams, or Stuffies, were invented in Rhode Island in the early 1900’s. Clams were originally thought of as a poor mans food, and as people stuffed them with bread, the stigma only grew. When the Narraganset Pier Casino in Rhode Island opened, the clams started to get a taste of luxury. Despite the name, the Narraganset Pier Casino was not a casino, but an upscale resort. Julius Keller, a chef at the resort sold “clams casino” to a party of eight, playing of the name of the resort. To layer on the luxury, he added peppers and bacon to the baked stuffed clams. This twist on the baked stuffed clams took off! The dish was popular amongst Italian and Portugese communities in New England, and given the large Italian American population in the Northeastern United States, they likely made their way to New York City through an Italian American pathway. Today, baked stuffed clams oreganata remain a popular dish in New York red sauce cuisine all along the east coast. So next time you are in New York, go to an Italian restaurant and order a plate. And to learn more about this dish where to get them in New York City, check out the video at the top of this page.

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