Clams Dijon

• 4 Tbsp. butter
• 10 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 cup dry vermouth
• 2 Tbsp. herbes de Provence
• 2 lbs. Manila clams, scrubbed
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 6 Tbsp. capers, drained
• 6 Tbsp. dijon mustard
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

See the note on clams and mussels if you haven't read it.

Melt the butter in a large heavy-bottomed nonreactive skillet with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until soft and just beginning to color, 3 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium-high, add the vermouth and herbes de Provence, and boil, stirring often, until the liquid has reduced by half, about 3 minutes.

Add the clams to the skillet, cover and steam, shaking the skillet over the heat occasionally, until the shells open, about 5 minutes. (Discard any shells that don't open.) Divide the clams between 4 warm wide soup bowls, leaving the garlic-and-herb broth in the skillet. Return the skillet to medium-high heat.

Add cream, capers, and mustard to the skillet, stir to combine, and gently boil until the sauce is just thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. 6–8 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide the sauce between the bowls of clams.