Recipe: Pan-Roasted Clams Over Olive Oil-Toasted Bread

PAN-ROASTED CLAMS OVER OLIVE OIL-TOASTED BREAD

8 slices country, Italian, French or sourdough bread, each about 3x4-inches
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
4 dozen shucked littleneck clams (approximately 1 2/3 cups drained)
3 tablespoons butter
Freshly ground pepper to taste
3 tablespoons mixed finely cut chives and chopped fresh basil or other fresh herbs

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Brush both sides of bread with olive oil; set aside. Blend together mustard, lemon juice and Worcestershire until smooth. Set aside.

Put bread directly on oven rack; bake for 5 to 6 minutes without turning. When edges turn golden brown and bread is beginning to turn golden and dry, remove them. Set aside where they can stay a little warm.

Inspect clams and juices for any broken bits of shell and discard them.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat, add drained clams; stir for 30 seconds. Stir in Dijon mixture; continue stirring until clams turns gray, 1 to 2 minutes. Regulate heat so liquid doesn't simmer - gentle heat keeps clams tender. Turn off heat; grind in a generous amount of pepper.

Slightly overlap 2 slices of toast in each warm soup plate. Spoon clams and their cooking juices over spot where the 2 toasts meet. Sprinkle herbs over all.

Servings: 4
Source: Great Fish, Quick by Leslie Revsin