Wellfleet And Manila Clam Sauce

By á-170456

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons finely-sliced garlic
• 1/4 cup finely-julienned basil leaves
• 1/2 pound Applewood-smoked bacon diced, cooked crisp
• 18 littleneck clams from Wellfleet, MA
• 18 Manila clams
• 1/2 bottle rose wine
• 1 quart canned clam broth
• 8 ounces butter - (2 sticks)
• 1/2 cup finely-diced fennel
• 1 ounce preserved Meyer lemon peel julienned
• Salt to taste
• Freshly-ground black pepper to taste
• Meyer lemon juice to adjust acidity

Preparation

Step 1

Heat a large saucepan until moderately-hot. Add olive oil. Saute fennel, bacon and garlic. Add the clams and deglaze with the rose wine. Pull the clams out as they open.

Reduce the wine by 3/4. Add the clam broth and bring to a boil. Add the butter to the boiling liquid, continue to boil until the butter is incorporated.

Just before serving, add the clams back to the sauce, along with the Meyer lemon peel, basil leaves, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

This recipe yields 4 servings.