Stuffed Clams

2 bacon slices
1/4 onion, chopped
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
8 - 10 clams, shucked, removed from shells and juice reserved;approx 1cup (reserve half the shells)
salt & pepper to taste
1 lemon
Tabasco sauce
butter

Cook bacon in microwave oven, on stovetop or in oven. Let cool and crumble into medium bowl. Add onion, parsley, and breadcrumbs. Chop up clams and add to breadcrumb mixture. Moisten with reserved clam liquor. Season with salt, pepper, squirt of lemon and a dash of Tabasco sauce. Fill clam shells with mixture and place in a baking dish. Top clams with dots of butter and more breadcrumbs. Broil until browned.

Makes 3 to 5 servings.

Notes:

In March or April the first clam tides get us down on the beach with a shovel and bucket. We dig up the clams, bring them home and let them soak in salt water sprinkled with corn meal for 24 hours. Then pull out the biggest ones to use for this dish. Here is a hint, put the clams in the freezer for 1/2 hour (no longer). They will be much easier to open.