No. 127. Clams a la Creme.—Chop boiled clams, but not very fine. For one quart melt two tablespoons of butter and thicken smooth with the same quantity of flour, season with pepper and a speck of mace or nutmeg and add the clams, simmer three minutes and add one cup boiling cream. If the cream is not boiled before adding it is liable to curdle. A little clam water may be added, also. Arrange split and buttered crackers on a hot platter and pour the creamed clams over them.
No. 128. Steamed Clams.—Steamed clams are preferred to either boiled or baked by some people. Wash the clams clean, and pack them into a steamer edgewise so the water will all drain off when they cook, cover closely and steam until the shells open well. Serve the clams in the half shells after removing black skin and cutting off the black end; scissors are better than a knife for this purpose. Serve melted butter and brownbread with steamed clams. If it is desirable to save the clam water, put the clams into the kettle without any water.
No. 129. Clam Water.—Whenever clam water is wanted for any purpose in cooking it should be put into a pitcher and allowed to stand until well settled, then pour off carefully, if drained through a sieve the small particles of sand are liable to go through even the finest of sieves.
No. 130. Bisque of Clams.—Boil one quart of small clams out of the shell in their own liquor for five minutes, then drain. Put in saucepan, four oz. butter, with two oz. flour, heat smooth and add the clams and their liquor, a little salt, pepper and a speck of cayenne, then stir in one quart boiling milk, boil up and serve.
No. 131. Purce of Clams.—A purce of clams or other shell fish is made the same as for a bisque, except that the clams are rubbed through a sieve forming a soft paste before adding the milk.
No. 132. Scalloped Clams.—Clams may be scalloped same as oysters, but only the soft parts should be used and those should be boiled in the shell just enough so they can be opened easily. Some of the clam liquor should be used to moisten the cracker crumbs.
No. 133. Clam Croquettes.—Chop the boiled clams and mix with cracker crumbs, moistening with clam liquor and cream, seasoning to taste, form into croquettes and fry in hot fat, or the clams may be bruised to a paste. Drain the croquettes on paper, or a sieve, and serve on a napkin.
No. 134. Clams au Gratin.—Chop the hard parts and mix with the soft. To a cup of clams add a cup of bread or cracker crumbs, add also one teaspoon of finely chopped onion, half a teaspoon of powdered marjoram and sage, the same of chopped celery, a little cayenne and salt if needed. Moisten with clam liquor and boiled cream, put into baking dish, sprinkle crumbs over the top, dot with bits of butter and bake a nice brown.
No. 135. Clams a la Creole.—Prepare same as for au gratin and moisten with canned tomatoes instead of the cream and clam liquor. For either this dish, or clams au gratin, if only the soft parts of the clams are used they will be found much nicer.
No. 136. Clams on Toast.—Open raw, chop the hard parts and mix with the soft, warm them up in their own liquor, with butter, seasoning and a dash of bruised mace. Have toast ready, either bread or crackers, well buttered, strain the liquor over the toast, then spread on the clams. Serve hot. Cream, or wine, or both, added to the liquor will be found an improvement.