Recipe - Clams With Vegetables And Balsamic Vinegar

6 pound Clams in the shell; prepared
for steaming
1 sl Bacon; thick, minced or
2 sl Bacon; thin, minced
One half Yellow onion; chopped
1 Clove (large) garlic;
crushed
1 tablespoon Chopped bell pepper
2 Ribs celery; chopped
One fourth cup Balsamic vinegar
One fourth cup Red wine vinegar
One half Lemon; juice of
Freshly ground black pepper
to taste

SERVES 23 AS A MAIN COURSE, 68 AS AN APPETIZER

Don't be put off by the thought of light vinegar in your clams. This is a
bit unusual, I will admit, but it is very delicious.

Wash the clams in fresh water and then soak them in fresh water for 1
hour. Check to be sure none are simply full of mud.

In a 12quart stockpot, saut‚ the chopped bacon until clear. Add the
onion, garlic, green pepper, and celery and saut‚ for 5 minutes. Add the
clams and the vinegars. Cover the pot and cook over medium high heat until
all the shells are open. Add the lemon juice and toss. Discard those clams
that do not open.

This is generally served as an appetizer, but it holds up well along with
a Corn Pudding (see recipe).

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