Name: Chef Tim O'Toole's Signature Stuffed Quahogs
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 cups water; 1 package Portuguese chourico sausage links; 12 quahogs; 1 large onion, coarsely chopped; 1 package chicken flavored bread stuffing mix (such as Kraft Stove Top); 0.5 cup margarine; 0.25 cup butter

Ready in: 1h

Serves: 12 servings

Ingredients: 7

Stuffies are Rhode Island's answer to the question of what to do with quahogs too big to eat raw — and this version doesn't skimp on the Portuguese chouriço that makes New England's best ones sing. Chopped clams and spicy sausage fold into a buttery stuffing, packed back into the shells and baked until the tops crisp. Twelve stuffed shells, an hour end to end, and a cooler-than-it-sounds party trick for a summer table.

Ingredients

4	cups water
1	package Portuguese chourico sausage links
12	quahogs
1	large onion, coarsely chopped
1	package chicken-flavored bread stuffing mix (such as Kraft Stove Top)
¹⁄₂	cup margarine
¹⁄₄	cup butter

Instructions

1.	Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.	In a saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Add Portuguese chourico sausage links and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes. Remove the sausage links from the broth, keeping the broth aside. Proceed to remove the casings from the sausage.
3.	Return the broth to a simmer and carefully add the quahogs. Cook until the shells open, which should take around 5 to 10 minutes. Once the quahogs are cooked, extract the meat from the shells. Separate the shell halves and wash them if needed.
4.	Combine the sausage and quahog meat in a food processor, pulsing until finely chopped for approximately 12 seconds. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Process the chopped onion for about 5 seconds and then incorporate it into the meat mixture.
5.	Prepare the chicken-flavored bread stuffing mix according to the package instructions. Use margarine and substitute the water with the reserved sausage and clam broth. Note that you might have more broth than required for the stuffing.
6.	Mix the prepared stuffing with the sausage, clam, and onion mixture. Fill the empty clam shell halves with the stuffing mixture and top each with a small pat of butter, around a third of a teaspoon.
7.	Arrange the filled shells on a baking pan and bake in the preheated oven until the tops turn golden brown, typically taking 15 to 20 minutes.