Linguini with White Clam Sauce.... So easy, so delicious!

Living on the coast has its rewards. Like fresh seafood, especially oysters and clams. I have been digging clams, gathering oysters and crabbing for Blue Crabs ever since I was a kid. Clams are easy to dig and you can have enough for dinner in no time. Clams seem to grow in groups so when you find one, more should be close at hand. For this pasta recipe we are using fresh littlenecks and minced clams as well.
When digging clams we would save the small littlenecks to eat in the shell and use the large chowder clams or Quahogs for minced clams, soups or fritters. There are many versions of white clam sauce, some with cream, some without, some with fresh clams, some without, its up to you and if you have access to fresh clams. If you are land locked just use the canned minced clams and bottled clam juice from your local grocery store which will work just fine.
A tip for shucking the fresh clams is to freeze the large clams making them very easy to shuck, then you can mince them with a knife, food processor or meat grinder. Enjoy........

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp minced garlic
1/4 cup flour
2 cup clam juice
2 tbsp fresh Italian parsley
2/3 cup white wine
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tbsp fresh chopped basil
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 cup heavy cream
2 cup chopped clams
2 dozen fresh clams washed

Method

In medium sauce pan over medium heat melt butter and olive oil together. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute (do not brown garlic). Add flour to garlic butter mixture and mix flour into garlic butter thoroughly. Cook roux 2 minutes stirring constantly. Add clam juice and cook until thickened stirring constantly. Add Parsley, white wine, lemon juice, fresh basil, nutmeg and heavy cream and cook sauce over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add fresh and chopped clams and cook until clams are cooked and opened. Remove sauce from heat and toss with your favorite pasta.