CLAMS in FRAGRANT BROTH; intermediate recipe

Growing-up Japanese in Philly, especially with a diehard Julia Child's fangirl like my mom, I had a lot of fusion cooking put in front of me as a kid. One of them was clear clam soup ( ushio-jiru ) on the reg so this recipe is a nod to my mom and Julia! The WOW flavor factor vs. cost, and the speedy 15 minutes it takes to make will make you the hero of any dinner table. So simple, so good!

Ingredients:

Chardonnay1 Pairing Salts™ | 2lbs littleneck clams | 1/4lb thick sliced bacon | 8oz clam juice | chicken stock | fresh thyme

Directions:

1. - Cut bacon into lardons and sauté for 5 minutes until browned. Remove bacon from pan and set aside. Drain fat from pan, but do not clean.

2. - Add 8oz clam juice to pan to deglaze pan, then quickly add clean clams to liquid until shells open, approximately 5-7 minutes. 

2. -Add bacon 1/4C stock, fresh thyme, and 1tsp Chardonnay1 Pairing Salts and bring to a low boil for 5 minutes. 

4. - Plate and serve immediately.