Clam loaf

• 24 fairly large cherrystone clams
• 1 3/4 cups fresh clam juice, to be used for a sauce
• 4 tablespoons butter, plus butter for greasing the pan
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup milk
• 60 crackers with unsalted tops, about 6 ounces
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 cup finely chopped heart of celery
• 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped parsley
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• Clam sauce with Pernod or Ricard (see recipe)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Shuck the clams, and reserve the clams and juice.
3. There should be about one and one-half cups of clams and about one and threequarter cups of juice to be used for a sauce.
4. Set aside
5. Heat two tablespoons of the butter in a saucepan and add the flour, stirring with a wire whisk.
6. Add three-quarters of a cup of the milk, stirring rapidly with the whisk.
7. Cook, stirring often, about five minutes.
8. Crumble the crackers in a mixing bowl and add the sauce, stirring.
9. Heat the remaining two tablespoons of butter in a separate saucepan, and add the onion, celery and garlic.
10. Cook, stirring, until the mixture is wilted.
11. Put the clams on a flat surface and chop them finely with a knife.
12. Add the clams to the cracker mixture.
13. Add the cooked vegetables, the parsley and the pepper.
14. Add the remaining milk and the eggs, and stir to blend.
15. Butter a loaf pan measuring about 9 by 5 by 2 3/4 inches.
16. Add the clam mixture and smooth over the top.
17. Cover with foil and place in the oven.
18. Bake 30 minutes and remove the foil.
19. Continue baking 30 minutes longer.
20. Spoon portions of the loaf onto serving plates and serve with clam sauce with Pernod or Ricard.

cherrystone clams, clam juice, butter, flour, milk, crackers, onion, heart of celery, garlic, parsley, freshly ground pepper, eggs

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/6452 (may not work)