Clams on the Half Shell

Ingredients

4 servings

•     2 dozen fresh live clams (little neck or cherrystone are best to eat raw)

•     1 lemon

•     1 cocktail sauce

Instructions

1. Keep clams on ice (easier to open them & best served chilled) open with a clam knife & best to hold the clam with a dishtowel as to not slice open your hand. Press knife at the seam of the hinge & press hard, when knife slides in run it through the clam to open it. Open sideways as to not lose the juice.

2. Discard the top shell & run knife under the clam to release from bottom shell.

3.  Put a leaf of lettuce on the bottom of the dish & fill with ice.

4. Place half a dozen clams on top of the ice. Serve with a wedge of lemon, and  cocktail sauce.