Clam Bake

6-8 medium clams per person
soaking mixture (1/3 cup salt per gallon of water, with 1/4 cup cornmeal sprinkled on top)
optional ingredients for drip pan: wine, vinegar, crab and shrimp boil, herbs and spices

Allow 6-8 medium clams per person.  Scrub and wash sand away in several water baths, then soak clams in salt/water/cornmeal mixture for at l  ast 3 hours.  This whitens the clam meat and gets rid of sand. After soaking, wash again in fresh water.  Place 1 quart of water in the drip pan.

For extra flavor, add wine, vinegar, crab and shrimp boil, or other herbs and spices to the water.  If you don't want a smokey flavor, omit the wood chips.
Place clams on rack and steam on High until clams open, about 15 minutes per serving.  Serve clams with melted butter and lemon wedges.