Seafood cookery from Carteret County kitchens

Remove any shell or cartilage from crab meat. Wash tomatoes. Re- move stem ends and centers; sprinkle tomatoes with salt and pepper. Combine butter, parsley, lemon juice, and crab meat. Place in tomatoes. Combine cheese and crumbs; sprinkle over top of tomatoes. Place in a well-greased baking dish. Bake in a moderate oven, 350 degrees, for 20 to 25 minutes or until tomatoes are tender. Serves 6. 25 wy 2 S ee 26 ~ . oy \ Sea was * iN ese eS: [ g ue WK \\ \\ \ 1 : \ | : ! I CLAMS Although there are several species of hard clams, bivalve mollusks, in the North Carolina waters, there is only one of commercial importance, Mercenaria mercenaria. This is the one most commonly eaten locally and is known by many common names: little-neck, quahaug or quohog, hard- shell clam, round clam and cherry stone. Clams are available year round, in all sizes and are collected by hand or by dredging. They are capable of some movement in the mud and sand and found most frequently on the flats in relatively shoal waters, a few feet below the low tide zone. Cur- rantly, experimental attempts are being made to raise clams under protec- ted conditions. If this can be done, the survival rate of young clams can be greatly increased, and the commercial value will be higher. Clams are rich in protein and low in fat and carbohydrate. They also provide the body with quantities of calcium, iron, phosphorus, Vit- amin A, niacin and riboflavin. Cleaning and Shucking Clams Wash off all surface sand with water. Scrub clams with stiff brush. Cover clams with clean sea water or 2-percent brine (1/3 cup salt to 1 gallon of tap water) and let stand for 15 or 20 minutes to allow the clams to cleanse themselves of sand -- salt water is necessary if the clams are to open and discharge sand. Cornmeal added to the water aids in this pro- cess. Change the water and let stand a little while two or three times. Rinse several times in cold water. To open a hard clam, hold it in the palm of one hand with the shell’s hinge against the palm. Insert a slender, strong, sharpe knife between the halves of the shell and cut around the clam, twisting the knife slightly to pry open the shell. Cut both muscles free from the two halves of the shell. If to be served on the half-shell, remove only one-half of the shel! If to be used in some other recipe, remove and rinse the meat. 28 CLAM DIP Tastiest ever, and oh, so easy! Just blend 6 ounces of cream cheese, 42 teaspoon onion powder, 2 tablespoons A-1 Sauce with % cup drained minced clams. Spread on crackers and top each cracker with a tiny canned shrimp. Mrs. G. E. Thompson Crab Point Club BEACH PARTY CLAM DIP Mix together one 7/2-ounce can minced clams, two 3-ounce packages cream cheese, | tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce % teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper, and only enough milk to make; good dip consistency. Note: 1% teaspoon monosodium glutamate may be added to bring out the natural food flavor. This makes a delicious dip served with potato chips. Mrs. G. M. Carraway Merrimon-South River Club CLAM DIP 25 small clams (or one 7'2-ounce 1 large package cream cheese can minced clams) Dash Worcestershire Sauce 1 medium onion Dash Black Pepper Salt to taste Scrub clams thoroughly, place in container with a very small amount of water, and steam for approximately 30 minutes. Save clam liquid. Grind clams and onion in food chopper, and mix with cream cheese (at room tem- perature). Use liquid to thin to proper dip consistency. Add salt and pepper. Mrs. Louise Bittner Sound View Club CLAM DIP 2 8-oz. packages cream cheese Few drops Tabasco %, teaspoon garlic salt % cup clam juice 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce 1 7-ounce can minced clams 1 tablespoon lemon juice