Broiled Clams Recipe – Infused with White Wine Bacon Risotto & Chive Butter

Broiled Clams Recipe

This broiled clams recipe pairs sweet, briny clams with a rich white wine bacon risotto and a bright, herbaceous chive butter topping. Featured on Fish the Dish with host Spencer Watts, this dish layers bold seafood flavour with creamy risotto and golden broiled texture, creating a comforting yet elevated seafood meal perfect for entertaining or special occasions.

The Inspiration

Inspired by classic coastal Italian and French seafood cooking, this dish brings together the richness of risotto with the freshness of shellfish. Clams are naturally briny and sweet, making them ideal for broiling with buttery toppings that enhance their ocean flavour.

Spencer Watts builds depth through layers: smoky bacon-infused risotto, a silky clam-and-white-wine base, and a finishing chive butter that adds brightness and freshness. The broiled clams introduce a crisp, golden top layer thanks to panko and butter, while white wine ties the entire dish together with acidity and balance. The result is a hearty yet refined seafood plate with restaurant-level complexity.

Ingredients

White Wine Bacon Risotto

• ¼ lb (113 g) Bacon
• 3 cups (24 oz) Bottled clam juice (can add more if rice needs it)
• 3 cups (750ml)  Water/stock (can add more if rice needs it)
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 3 Cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp (1 ml) Salt, more if needed
• 2 cups (500 ml) Arborio rice
• 1 cup (250 ml) Dry white wine
• 1/4 tsp (1 ml) Fresh-ground black pepper
• 4 Tbsp (57g) Butter
• 1 Lemon juice
• 1/3 cup (35g) Parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup (90ml) Chives, chopped
• Salt to taste

Chive Butter

• ½ lb (113 g) Butter, softened
• Salt to taste
• 3 Tbsp (45ml) Chopped chives
• Pepper to taste
• 1 Lemon, juice only

Broiled Clams with Chive Butter

• 1 cup (250 ml) Fresh clams in shell
• ¼ cup Chive butter (see recipe above)
• ¼ cup (60ml) Panko
• ¼ cup White wine
• ¼ cup Parmesan
• Olive Oil, garnish
• 1 Lemon, juice

Methods

• Start your risotto.  Cook bacon and reserve bacon fat.  Once cool to the touch, chop into bite sized pieces
• Place clam juice and water to a saucepan and heat.
• Pour bacon fat into a sauté pan. Add onions, garlic, and a dash of salt to the pan. Mix in the Arborio rice. Cook 1 minute as rice starts to pop, add the white wine.
• Let wine cook down.
• Ladle in some warmed clam juice stock and add pepper. Stirring often, cook until the broth has been absorbed by the rice.  Add another ladle full of stock and repeat until the rice is about 90% cooked and the majority (if not all) of the stock has been absorbed into the rice.  Set off the heat and prepare clams.
• Prepare the chive butter.  Prepare the chive butter by placing softened butter in a bowl. Add chives, salt, pepper, and fresh lemon juice. Stir all together.
• Preheat the broiler to high heat.
• Open clams with a shucker, run the knife under the clam to release it from the shell, but leave them still sitting in the basin.
• Lay clams on a baking sheet. Spoon chive butter onto each clam.
• Sprinkle panko onto clams, and drizzle a little white wine. Place baking sheet in broiler on high heat for 1-2 minutes.
• Move risotto pan back onto heat, and add butter, chopped bacon bits, lemon juice, grated parmesan, chives, and salt. Transfer the risotto to a bowl.
• Remove clams from shells and lay on top of risotto. Finish with some grated parmesan, olive oil, and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Serving Suggestions

This broiled clams recipe is ideal for a comforting seafood dinner, elegant weekend cooking, or a shared family-style meal. Serve the risotto hot and creamy in shallow bowls, allowing the broiled clams to sit on top so their buttery juices melt into the rice below.

For added brightness, finish each serving with a squeeze of fresh lemon and extra chopped chives. The dish pairs beautifully with dry white wines such as Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, or Chardonnay, which complement both the richness of the risotto and the briny sweetness of the clams.

Serve alongside a simple arugula salad or roasted vegetables to balance the richness of the dish.

Final Thoughts

This broiled clams recipe brings together comfort and refinement in one cohesive seafood dish. The creamy white wine bacon risotto provides depth and richness, while the broiled clams add briny sweetness and crisp buttery texture.

Spencer Watts demonstrates how layered cooking techniques—broiling, slow risotto building, and compound butter—can transform simple ingredients into a restaurant-worthy meal. The result is a warm, indulgent, and flavour-packed seafood dish that feels both rustic and elevated.