Home › The World's Kitchen › Soft Clams, Grant

Soft Clams, Grant

Discard all sandy parts of thirty-six large, very fresh, soft clams, keeping nothing but the perfect bodies. Plunge in boiling water for one minute, drain and keep on a plate. Heat one and a half tablespoons melted butter in a saucepan, adding three sound, very finely chopped shallots, half a finely chopped green pepper, two white, crisp branches celery also finely chopped, and brown to a nice light-brown colour, occasionally stirring meanwhile; add two tablespoons flour, stirring while heating for one minute. Pour in one gill cream, one gill milk, two tablespoons sherry, a teaspoon anchovy essence, a tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, half a teaspoon salt, a saltspoon cayenne pepper and a saltspoon grated nutmeg. Mix well until it comes to a boil, then add the clams; carefully mix without breaking them. Pour into a baking dish, arrange six thin slices broiled bacon on top, sprinkle two tablespoons Parmesan cheese over, divide half ounce good butter in small bits on top, set in oven to bake for ten minutes, or until a nice golden colour, remove and serve.