Nana's Clam Dip
#1 in my heart, and not up for negotiation
The holidays really bring out my apparent dairy fixation. Who knew it was such a problem? I like to think I’m making up for a childhood comprised of Tofutti Cuties and other prehistoric non-dairy artifacts (my well-intentioned mother was testing an asthma hypothesis). Before oat milk replaced sliced bread, I missed out on the daily glasses of milk for “strong bones”. Funny enough, now I seem to be the only one of my friends who can tolerate the stuff.
I digress. Clam Dip is a timeless New England classic that signifies the official start of the holidays for me. My weakness for this special hors d’oeuvre began at a young age. I was introduced to it by my late paternal grandmother, Gloria—or Nana, as she is better known. Before Christmas and Thanksgiving, she and my Papa would drive down from Maine to our house in Concord, Massachusetts. I can still hear the crunching of their ‘86 Buick Roadmaster Wagon turning onto the icy driveway, signaling that presents and precious Clam Dip were in tow.
This recipe harkens back to the days of Fannie Farmer (1857-1915), the original Martha Stewart who published her first book, the The Boston Cooking School Book, in 1896 which soon became the most popular culinary text of the era. She spread the gospel about cooking techniques and taught many housewives how to cook for their husbands. Lol. My Nana was a lucky pupil of Miss Farmer’s School of Cookery, as it was named, and during her schooling she learned many excellent recipes, including this Clam Dip. It is simple and perfect. We all have Fannie to thank. Make it, enjoy it, and pass it on.
Serves 6-8; more if part of a spread.
INGREDIENTS:
8 oz cream cheese
1 can chopped clams, plus 2-3 Tablespoons reserved clam juice
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1-2 T chopped scallions, plus more for garnish
Fresh ground black pepper
STEPS:
Tip: Making it a day in advance will yield the most flavor.
Take cream cheese out of refrigerator and let soften to room temperature (~ 1 hour).
Open clams and pour off clam juice into a separate small bowl or cup.
When cream cheese is soft, add 2-3 Tablespoons of the clam juice until it reaches your designed consistency.
Add chopped clams, scallions, Worcestershire sauce, and fresh ground black pepper. Mix well to combine.
Chill until ~1 hour before serving. Take it back out of the fridge to soften again. Serve with crackers of choice, I like Simple Mills.
