The United States is a nation that loves a tomato sandwich. Americans love them plain with mayonnaise, grilled with cheese or dressed up with bacon and lettuce in a BLT.

The thing about the BLT is that it's a formula that you can add anything to: spice, smoked salmon, avocado, cheese. What if, I thought some weeks ago, you applied the flavors of a BLT to something else? What if you gave quick-cooking clams the bacon, lettuce and tomato treatment?

At first, I thought I could make a salad, with lettuce, fresh tomatoes, croutons and bacon bits, and add steamed clams on top. This turned out to be boring. The individual elements were fine on their own, but there was no sauce to tie them together. Plus, the best parts of the BLT — ripe tomato and smoky bacon — didn't get a chance to flavor the clams. I tried adding a creamy dressing, but it didn't help.

For my next attempt, I thought croutons cooked in bacon fat might be a tasty way to mingle two of the components. The bacon croutons were fantastic — I ate almost all of them in one sitting, popping them into my mouth like popcorn. Then, I sweated the tomatoes and lettuce for a few minutes before adding the clams. This gave the clams some flavor, but the soggy lettuce was a dealbreaker. The croutons were also difficult to eat in the same bite as a meaty clam.

In the end, I mashed these two ideas together. For my BLT clams, you'll start by making bacon breadcrumbs: Saute chopped bacon, then stir in panko breadcrumbs, letting them toast in the bacon fat. Scoop them out of the pot and add tomatoes, a little white wine and clams. (Don't forget to clean your clams very well! Bits of sand or dirt will ruin the dish.) Cover the pot and let the tomatoes melt into a sauce as the clams cook. They'll only take a few minutes to peek open, their meat plumping in the tomato-scented steam. As they open, pluck them out of the pot and plop them atop a bowl of chopped romaine. Simmer the tomatoes and wine for a few minutes, to reduce it slightly, and then pour it over the clams and lettuce — that's your salad dressing.

All that's left to do is sprinkle on all of those golden, bacon-scented breadcrumbs. They'll nestle into each clam, coating them with crunch and rounding out the winning flavors of a BLT.

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BLT Clams

Total time: 25 minutes

2 to 3 servings

The winning trio of bacon, lettuce and tomato lend their spark to this quick meal of clams. Breadcrumbs, toasted in the bacon fat, turn this dish into a filling meal. Look for tightly closed littleneck clams, or substitute cherrystone clams or mussels.

Note: If your clams seem very dirty, soak them in a bowl, swishing them in the water periodically, until any dirt and sand falls to the bottom of the bowl. After soaking, check the clams by tapping their shells; if they close, this means they are alive. If they remain open, the clams are dead and should be discarded. Discard any clams with broken or cracked shells as well.

Where to buy: Fresh clams can be found at seafood stores and well-stocked supermarkets.

INGREDIENTS

1 romaine lettuce heart (10 ounces), shredded or chopped

6 ounces bacon, sliced into 1/4-inch pieces

1 cup (2 ounces) panko breadcrumbs

24 littleneck clams (about 2-1/4 pounds), scrubbed, soaked and drained (see NOTE)

1/2 pint (6 ounces) cherry or grape tomatoes, halved (about 18)

1/4 cup white wine (may substitute 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar mixed with 2 tablespoons water)

STEPS

Place the romaine in a large serving bowl.

To a large pot or Dutch oven with a lid over medium-high heat, add the bacon and cook, stirring until the fat is rendered and the bacon browns and crisps, 7 to 10 minutes. (There's no need to preheat the pan.)

Add the panko and stir it into the bacon fat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the breadcrumbs turn light golden brown, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon and breadcrumbs to a bowl.

Increase the heat to high. Add the clams, tomatoes and wine. Cover and cook, occasionally shaking the pot, 3 to 4 minutes. Peek inside the pot: Once the clams begin to open, uncover the pot and, using tongs, transfer them to the bowl with the romaine. Cook any clams that haven't opened for another 2 minutes. If they still don't open, discard them.

Once the clams have been removed, boil the tomatoes and liquid in the pot until it reduces slightly, about 2 minutes.

Remove from the heat, and pour the tomatoes and sauce over the clams and lettuce. Sprinkle with the bacon breadcrumbs and serve.