Baked Stuffed Clams

You can by baked stuffed clams in the supermarkets freezer case,
to me they taste like there made with seafood flavored saw dust.
I live in New England and am blessed by being ale to get the
freshest and best shellfish available almost all year long.
For baked stuffed clams I use littenecks. Quohogs clams
are just to big and meaty for the proper sized stuffed clam.
Use real unsalted butter and fresh lemons,you won't be sorry.

Ingredients:
2 dozen littleneck clams, shucked and coarsely
chopped 36 half shells, rinsed and liquid reserved
1 1/4 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
2 tablespoons minced flat leaf parsley
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Spoon the chopped clams into the reserved shells
and arrange on a large baking sheet.
In a medium bowl, mix the panko with the parsley,
garlic and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil,
season very lightly with salt and pepper.
If the panko seems too dry, add the remaining tablespoon of oil.
Spoon the panko over the clams and press lightly.
Dot each clam with a small cube of butter.
Bake the clams until the crumbs
are sizzling and lightly browned.
Serve with fresh lemon wedges.