Ingredients:

• 1 quarter shucked larger cherrystone clams with their liquor.
• ¼ pound salt pork or slab bacon, diced
• 1 larger onion, minced (approximately 1 cup)
• 4 ripe tomatoes peeled, seeded, and chopped with juices reserved (Approximately 3 cups)
• 2 cups cold water
• 1tsp. fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tsp. fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
• 1tsp. fresh tarragon leaves
• freshly milled black pepper
• 1 ½ cups small new potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 3 small carrots, diced (approximately 1 cup)
• 2 dozen small littleneck clams, washed, drained, and chilled
• 1 pound firm white fish fillets, such as weakfish or bass, cubed
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
• Oyster crackers

Preparation:

Take the clams and strain the liquid into a small bowl, then chop the clams with a very sharp knife. Cover them and set it aside. In a large pot, render the fat from the salt pork. then remove the cracklings and set aside. Add the onions to the fat that was rendered and saute, then add the tomatoes and the juices. Add in two cups of water, herbs, and the seasonings. Then add in the clam liquid that was reserved, the potatoes, and the carrots. Cover this and let it simmer for about ten minutes, then let the potatoes cook, when they are tender add the reserved clam meat and allow it too cook for about seven minutes. Then remove from the heat and cover and refrigerate overnight.

To assemble:

Take the litteneck clams and put them in the freezer, so that they will quickly open. In the meanwhile, take out all of the fat that has accumulated at the top of the stew. Bring this stew to a simmer on medium heat, when it starts to bubble, add in the little neck clams cover and simmer. When the clams start to open, add in the cubed fish and simmer until the fish are tender. Then add in the cracklings that were reserved and the parsley. You are now ready to serve! Serve with crackers.