Step 1

Soak the clams in cold water to purge any sand, about 20 minutes. Then scrub them clean to remove any dirt or barnacles from the outer shells and then drain.

Step 2

Add the white wine and cleaned clams to a large saucepan. Cover and heat over medium. After a few minutes, check to see if any of the clams have opened. Once they start opening, remove the opened clams to a large bowl to cool. Cover the pot and wait another minute or so before checking to see if any more clams have opened. Discard any clams that don’t open after 5 minutes. Once all the clams have been removed, turn the heat down to low and let the white wine and clam juice mixture reduce until there is about 1/3 cup of liquid left.

Step 3

In the meantime, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to render its fat and slightly browns, about 2 minutes. Next, add the shallots and bell pepper. Cook, stirring, until slightly softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Use a small fine-mesh sieve to strain the 1/3 cup of white wine-clam juice mixture into the skillet. Stir to combine and cook until the mixture is slightly reduced and cohesive, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and let cool slightly.

Step 4

Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and preheat the oven to broil.

Step 5

Mix the panko, olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together in a small bowl. Set aside.

Step 6

Carefully remove the top shell from each clam and use a spoon to loosen the meat from the bottom shell. Place the meat back into the bottom shell and then onto the prepared baking sheet.

Step 7

Divide the bacon mixture evenly among the clams, using a spoon to pack the mixture tightly into the shell. Top each of the clams with about 1 teaspoon of the panko mixture.

Step 8

Transfer the clams to the broiler and cook until the breadcrumbs are just golden brown, 30 seconds to a 1 minute. Keep an eye on them as the browning can happen quite quickly.

Step 9

Remove the clams from the oven and use tongs to transfer them to a serving plate. Garnish with chopped chives. Serve immediately.