Zuppa Di Vongole (clam Soup)

Ingredients

• Servings: 4-5
• 48 clams
• 1 quart fish stock
• 3/4 bottle wine (1 liter)
• 1 tomato, peeled, chopped
• 1 leek
• 1 bunch marjoram
• 1 small onion
• leaf of celery
• 1 clove garlic
• 4 crusts of bread (croutons)

Recipe

• into a saucepan put 4 dozen *vongole* or small clams (cockles or mussels can be used as well).
• pour over them three-quarters of a bottle of wine and let them cook until they have opened.
• drain them, setting aside the liquid in which they have cooked, and remove the empty half-shells. -- chop the part of a leek with a small onion, add a clove of garlic, and saute this mixture in a saucepan with good oil, add the liquid from the clams, and a quart of fish stock; add a peeled and chopped tomato, a bouquet of marjoram, and a few green leaves of celery.
• let this bubble fast for ten minutes, remove the bouquet and the garlic, stir the clams into the soup, and pour it into the tureen.
• serve separately small croutons of bread fried in oil.