Shucked medium oysters fried in a dusting of pulsed saltines. Soon Claire was eating the Chappaquiddick version of clams casino, washed down with a fresh bottle of sarsaparilla. This cioppino recipe uses bottled clam juice, a smart shortcut to a robust broth.
He placed the clams in the oven just long enough to brown the topping.
The Hermit had Claire spoon some crumb mixture in each clamshell and place a curl of venison bacon on top. She worked over the bowl to catch the juices, and after a few tries, got the hang of it… The shucked clams went on a shallow bed of salt in a large battered metal pie pan. He showed her how to tuck a littleneck into her palm, hinge towards the base of her thumb, then gently pull the blade between the shells with her fingers. He added the crumbs and some crumbled dried herbs and browned them with the ramps and bacon … Next, the Hermit produced a wire basket filled with seaweed and Cape Pogue Bay littlenecks … He handed Claire a bowl and an old butter knife. While the ramps and bacon browned, he took a stale loaf of bread and grated it on an old-fashioned box grater. The scent of sizzling wild garlic filled the kitchen. “The Hermit chopped some ramps and venison bacon and poured a little oil into a cast iron skillet.
