SOLENID^]. RAZOR-SHELL. 13 



of butter, and pepper and salt to taste ; make them 

 hot ; serve with cold butter and rolls.* 



Stewed soft shell Clams. — Get fifty clams taken from 

 their shells, and freed from the black skin; wash- them 

 well in clear water and put them in a stewpan with 

 very little water ; cover and set it over a gentle fire 

 for half an hour ; then add to them a bit of butter the 

 size of a large egg, or larger ; dredge in a tablespoon- 

 ful of flour, and salt and pepper to taste ; stir it in 

 them ; cover the stewpan for ten minutes, then serve 

 hot. Many persons like the addition of a wine-glass 

 of vinegar.f 



To Fry soft Clams. — Get them taken from the shell, 

 as they are very troublesome to clean. Wash them in 

 plenty of water, and lay them on a thickly folded 

 napkin to dry out the water ; then roll a few at a time 

 in wheat flour, until they will take up no more. 

 Have a thick-bottomed frying-pan one third full of 

 boiling hot lard, and salted (in proportion, a table- 

 spoonful of salt to a pound of lard), lay the clams in 

 with a fork, one at a time ; lay them close together 

 and fry gently, until one side is a delicate brown, 

 then turn carefully and brown the other ; then take 

 them off and put on a hot dish. When fried properly, 

 these clams are very excellent.* 



Fam. SOLENIDjE. 



SOLFN.— EAZOR-SHELL. 



Solen Siliqua, Linnaeus. Razor Shell. — Shell 

 straight, open at both extremities. Two teeth in left 



* Mrs. Crowen's 'American Lady's Cookery Book.' 

 t Ibid. J Ibid. 



