Preheat oven to 450°F.

Put clams, bay leaves, and the water into a large saucepan, covering it and then bringing it to a boil. The moment it reaches a boil you’ll want to bring the heat down to about medium/low and continue to cook the clams until they begin to pop open. It should only take 5 to 10 minutes – and probably will be done sooner rather than later.

Drain all water from the pan and throw away any claims that are not opened up.

Heat up your oil in a large cast-iron skillet over about medium heat, adding your shallots and bell pepper once temperature has increased. Stir them up until they are perfectly soft – but not browned (about two or three minutes).

Add in the bacon and heat for about a minute, at which stir in your vinegar while transferring everything to a larger bowl.

The last step is to stir in the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, chives, and all of the spices – popping clam meat from the shelves and stirring everything into the breadcrumb mixture. Stuff the clam meat back into their shells and then bake everything for about 20 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!