Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Cook, stirring, until slightly softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to render its fat and slightly browns, about 2 minutes. In the meantime, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once all the clams have been removed, turn the heat down to low and let the white wine and clam juice mixture reduce until there is about 1/3 cup of liquid left. Discard any clams that don’t open after 5 minutes. Cover the pot and wait another minute or so before checking to see if any more clams have opened.
Once they start opening, remove the opened clams to a large bowl to cool.
After a few minutes, check to see if any of the clams have opened. Then scrub them clean to remove any dirt or barnacles from the outer shells and then drain.Īdd the white wine and cleaned clams to a large saucepan. Soak the clams in cold water to purge any sand, about 20 minutes.