This is an easy yet impressive appetizer—especially perfect for a romantic evening for two. While any type of clam would work in this recipe, I use Manilas because they are hard-shelled and have less grit inside—and they are easier to find in supermarkets. But you could also use little necks, cherry stones, or nearly any other large or medium-size clam.

　　

Ingredients

2 appetizer servings

　　1/2 cup plain dried bread crumbs

　　1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

　　2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

　　1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

　　1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

　　1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

　　1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

　　Coarse salt (for lining the baking sheet)

　　12 small Manila clams, scrubbed and shucked (shells reserved)

　　

Step 1

Preheat the broiler. In a large bowl, gently toss the bread crumbs, 1/2 cup of oil, all the herbs, the kosher salt, and the pepper. Be careful not to overwork the mixture. Set aside.

　　

Step 2

Line a heavy baking sheet with coarse salt and arrange 12 clam shells atop the salt. Place one clam in each shell, then top each with 2 tablespoons of the bread-crumb mixture. Drizzle with more oil. Broil until the bread-crumb topping is golden and the clams are just cooked through, about 2 minutes.

　　Reprinted with permission from Everyday Italian: 125 Simple and Delicious Recipes by Martha Stewart Living Magazine. Copyright © 2005 by Giada De Laurentiis. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Giada De Laurentiis is the star of Food Network's Everyday Italian and Behind the Bash. She attended the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and then worked in a variety of Los Angeles restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck's Spago, before starting her own catering and private-chef company, GDL Foods. The granddaughter of movie producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada was born in Rome and grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives.