Recipe - Clams And White Wine Sauce

4 pound Fresh clams
One fourth cup Olive oil
3 Cloves garlic; cut or sliced up thin
2 Green onions; chopped
One half cup Chopped celery tops
3 tablespoon Chopped parsley
One half cup Dry white wine
1/16 teaspoon Fresh ground black pepper
or to taste
2 tablespoon Each butter and flour;
cooked to form a roux

SERVES 45 AS AN APPETIZER; 23 AS A MAIN COURSE

Clams are available most of the year in the Pacific Northwest. When I was
a child, we used to go digging for them ourselves, but I leave that task to
the professionals these days. That reminds me. I have never taken my boys
clamming. That is a must, and I'll have to bring their grandmother along to
show them how it is done.

This dish is simple and rich. The resulting sauce is better than the
clams themselves.

Be sure the clams are all tightly closed when you purchase them. Wash the
clams and soak them in fresh water for about 1 hour. Drain. Heat a 12quart
kettle and add the olive oil. Saut‚ the garlic and green onions for just a
few moments. Put the drained clams in the pot along with the remaining
ingredients except the roux. Cover and cook at mediumhigh heat until the
shells are all opened wide. Discard those that do not open. Remove the
clams from the pot, leaving the nectar behind. Using a wire whip, stir the
roux into the nectar and continue to stir until the sauce thickens. Pour
the sauce over the clams and serve.

I like to serve this dish along with Macaroni Pie (see recipe) so that
the sauce can mix with the pasta.

From The Frugal Gourmet Cooks American. Downloaded from Glen's MM Recipe
Archive, http://www.erols.com/hosey.