Recipe - Savory Seafood Custard

1 cn Clam juice (8 oz)
4 Large egg whites
2 tablespoon Fish sauce*
2 teaspoon Minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoon Finely shredded green onion

COOKED CLAMS
4 Clams in shells
One fourth cup Water

* NAM PLA or NUOC MAM, or soy sauce

1. Place 1 clam in each of 4 custard cups or bowls (Three fourths cup size). Set the
cups in a large baking pan at least 2" deep.

2. In a bowl, combine reserved One fourth cup liquid from cooked clams, clam
juice, One fourth cup water, egg whites, 2 teaspoons fish sauce, and ginger; beat
lightly just to blend. Pour One fourth of the mixture into each cup.

3. Set pan on center rack of a 325'F. oven. Pour boiling water into pan
around cups to level of custard. Bake until custard jiggles only slightly
when gently shaken, 2535 minutes. Lift cups from pan. Let stand at least
10 minutes. If made ahead, cool, cover, and chill up to a day. Garnish with
onion. Offer warm or cold, with fish sauce to add to add to taste.

*** COOKED CLAMS ***

1. Scrub and rinse clams, suitable for steaming (about 1 1/2" wide). in a 1
One half quart pan, bring water to a boil. Add clams; cover and simmer until
they open, about 5 minutes.

2. Or, to cook in a microwave oven, place clams in a microwavesafe 1 quart
container. Cover with plastic wrap and cook at full power (100 percent),
checking every 30 seconds, until clams open, 23 minutes total.

3. Remove the clams as they open; continue cooking until all are open. (If
a clam doesn't open, discard it and cook another.) Use clams warm or cool.
Reserve One fourth cup of the cooking liquid.