| 1 | * - nam pla or nuoc mam, or soy sauce |
| 2 | Place 1 clam in each of 4 custard cups or bowls (?cup size). |
| 3 | Set the cups in a large baking pan at least 2" deep. |
| 4 | In a bowl, combine reserved ?cup liquid from cooked clams, clam juice, ?cup water, egg whites, 2 teaspoons fish sauce, and ginger; beat lightly just to blend. |
| 5 | Pour ?of the mixture into each cup. |
| 6 | Set pan on center rack of a 325°F. |
| 7 | Oven. |
| 8 | Pour boiling water into pan around cups to level of custard. |
| 9 | Bake until custard jiggles only slightly when gently shaken, 25-35 minutes. |
| 10 | Lift cups from pan. |
| 11 | Let stand at least 10 minutes. |
| 12 | If made ahead, cool, cover, and chill up to a day. |
| 13 | Garnish with onion. |
| 14 | Offer warm or cold, with fish sauce to add to add to taste. |
| 15 | *** cooked clams *** |
| 16 | Scrub and rinse clams, suitable for steaming (about 1 ? wide). |
| 17 | In a 1 ?quart pan, bring water to a boil. |
| 18 | Add clams; cover and simmer until they open, about 5 minutes. |
| 19 | Or, to cook in a microwave oven, place clams in a microwave-safe 1 quart container. |
| 20 | Cover with plastic wrap and cook at full power (100 percent), checking every 30 seconds, until clams open, 2-3 minutes total. |
| 21 | Remove the clams as they open; continue cooking until all are open. |
| 22 | (if a clam doesn"t open, discard it and cook another). |
| 23 | Use clams warm or cool. |
| 24 | Reserve ?cup of the cooking liquid. |
