Modern Clam and Oyster Soup

Ingredients

• 1 pint Fresh clams, shucked (About 1 pound)
• 1 pint Fresh oysters, shucked (About 1 pound)
• 4 cups Whole milk
• 0.25 medium Yellow onion (1/4 of a medium onion, thinly sliced)
• 0.25 teaspoon Ground mace
• 1 tablespoon Fresh parsley (Chopped)
• 1 leaf Bay leaf
• 0.33 cup Unsalted butter (5 1/3 tablespoons)
• 0.33 cup All-purpose flour (5 1/3 tablespoons)
• 0.5 teaspoon Salt (Or to taste)
• 0.25 teaspoon Black pepper (Or to taste)
• 0.33 cup Cold water

Instructions

1. 1Clean and pick over oysters, using 1/3 cup cold water; reserve liquor, and add oysters slightly chopped.
2. 2Clean and pick over clams, reserve liquor, and add to hard part of clams, finely chopped; put aside soft part of clams.
3. 3Heat slowly to boiling-point clams and oysters with liquor from both, let simmer twenty minutes and strain through cheese-cloth.
4. 4Scald milk with onion, mace, parsley, and bay leaf; remove seasonings, and add milk to stock.
5. 5Thicken with butter and flour cooked together, add soft part of clams, and cook two minutes. Season with salt and pepper.