12 cherry stone clams (the medium size ones) or equivalent quahogs (the huge ones) volume. (This recipe I have amended if for 1 and 1/3 cup of chopped clams
2 tbs butter
1/2 cup of minced shallots
1 tbs flour (I use 2)
1 cup of light cream (I use 2/3 cup of half and half)
1.5 cups of breadcrumbs (I use 3/4 cup which has been generously seasoned with parmigiana cheese, salt and pepper)
1/4 cup of chopped parsley
2 tbs of lemon juice
4 cloves of minced garlic (Caroline as a good New Englander actually suggested 1/8 tsp in her recipe)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 more tbs of butter for later
Chop clams finely- a meat grinder is best
Melt butter, add shallots and garlic and cook two minutes
Sprinkle with flour and cook 1 minute
Add 2/3 cup of the clam juice (aren't you glad you didn't waste it?)
Bring to boil.
Stir constantly -add cream
Simmer 1 minute
Remove from heat
Stir in 1 cup breadcrumbs, parsley, lemon, pepper and clams
Mound in shells
Sprinkle with your seasoned bread crumbs and drizzle with butter
Put in 400 oven for 15 minutes and serve
To freeze: On cookie sheet before cooking, wrap individually in foil. Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and cook for 15 minutes at 400
"If you use quahogs you have to double the stuffing recipe. Open them with a clam knife or get rough and use a hammer if you are in a hurry. Just be sure to have some decent looking bottom shells (12). Some recipes tell you steam them open but that's as sacrilegious as putting tomatoes in clam chowder because when you steam you lose all that delicious clam liquor into the pot. Instead when you open the clams save juice and strain through cheese cloth for later in the recipe"
