Crispy Clam Belly Oreganato

steps

1. Make the aioli: Place a halved fresh lemon on a hot dry sauté pan or grill pan until charred or heavily caramelized, almost burnt. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, zest, juice of grilled lemon, dijon, and garlic. Mix ingredients evenly and season to taste with salt and black pepper.
2. Make the clams: In a medium bowl, combine hot sauce, egg, buttermilk, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly. Stir in clams. On a large, flat dish, such as a dinner plate, sift together flour, salt, black pepper, and oregano. Add clams and toss to coat well. Shake off excess flour.
3. In a deep skillet, heat oil to 350 degrees. Add about a quarter of the clams and cook, stirring, so that they brown evenly, about 2 minutes. As the clams brown and become crisp, use a slotted spoon to scoop them onto paper towels. Add another batch of clams. Continue cooking until all the clams are crisp and browned. Serve clams on a platter with a sprinkle of oregano and bowl of charred lemon aioli.