Created By: Gourmet Cookbook
Difficutly: moderate
Time: 45 Min
Portion: 4 servings
Ingredients:
36 small hard-shelled clams (less than 2 inches wide), such as littlenecks, scrubbed well
1 1/2 cups cold water
2 medium boiling potatoes
2 tablesppons unsalted butter
2 bacon slices, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup half and half
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Directions:
Put clams and cold water ina 4-quart saucepan and bring to a boil over moderately high heat. Cover and steam until clams open, 5 to 8 minutes, checking frequently after 5 minutes and transferring them to a bowl as they open. Discard any clams that have not opened. Reserve cooking liquid.
When clams are cool enough to handle remove from shells and coarsely chop. Carefully pour cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, leaving any grit in pan.
Peel potatoes and cut into 1/4 inch dice.
Melt butter in a large saucepan over moderate heat. Add bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in potatoes and reserved cooking liquid and simmer, covered, until potatoes are tender, 5 to 7 minutes.
Stir in clams, half and half, and pepper to taste and cook until heated through, about 1 minute; do not let boil. Stir in parsley.