Clams oreganata

Clams oreganata

Course	Appetizer
Place of origin	New York City
Associated cuisine	Italian-American
Serving temperature	Hot
Main ingredients	Clams
Ingredients generally used	Breading, garlic, seasonings
Similar dishes	Stuffed clam

Clams oreganata or baked clams is an Italian-American seafood dish served most commonly as an appetizer. In the dish, clams (usually six or twelve) are topped with bread crumbs ^[1] (usually moistened with olive oil or butter ^[2] ), oregano, garlic, and sometimes other ingredients, and baked. ^[1] Lemons juice is often squeezed onto the clams immediately before eating. The name "oreganata" references the addition of oregano.

Clams oreganata is commonly eaten on Christmas Eve during the Feast of the Seven Fishes, a traditional Italian-American meal centered around various seafood dishes. ^[3]

According to food writer Arthur Schwartz, clams oreganata are descended from the Neapolitan dish cozze al gratin/cozze arriganate. The dish is only sometimes made with clams, and is more often made with mussels, a much more common bivalves in the Campania region where clams are very small. It is served as an antipasto, and is less heavy than the Italian-American dish. ^[4]

See also

• Food portal

• Clams casino
• List of clam dishes
• List of seafood dishes
• New England clam bake

References

1. Gisslen, W. (2010). Professional Cooking, College Version. John Wiley & Sons. p. 475. ISBN   978-0-470-19752-3.
2. DiSpirito, R. (2011). Rocco's Five Minute Flavor: Fabulous Meals with 5 Ingredients in 5 Minutes. Scribner. p. 37. ISBN   978-1-4516-3956-8.
3. "Clams Oreganata: Feast Of The Seven Fishes". HuffPost. 2013-12-18. Retrieved 2020-07-24.
4. Schwartz, Arthur (1998). Naples at Table: Cooking in Campania. New York: HarperCollins. pp.  240. ISBN   0-06-018261-X.

Further reading

• Chase, S.L.; Benson, M. (2015). New England Open-house Cookbook: 300 Recipes Inspired by the Bounty of New England. Workman. p. 89. ISBN   978-0-7611-8496-6.