I originally received this recipe from Jan Nelson in 1977 in Colusa California . The last time I saw Jan I taught her how to use tole brushes and she gave me a couple of her favorite recipes. Unfortunately not long after that short vacation together, her husband, a forest ranger, was run off a cliff in his jeep and killed by deer poachers. His best friend, a beautiful black Labrador Retriever named Jake, survived the mountain plunge. Jake was a cousin to my black lab, Mandy, both were above average dogs (really). I have since lost track of Jan as we do sometimes from years and distance, but every time I make this dip I remember our time together.
2 7 ½ ounce cans chopped clams, drain saving a couple of tablespoons of the juice
1 8 ounce pkg. cream cheese, room temperature
1 large tub of sour cream
1 medium red onion, chopped small
1-3 capfuls Worchester sauce, taste test after 1Tb, I like a lot, as much as a tablespoon or more, but not everyone does.
1 Tb ¼ tsp lemon juice
¼ tsp salt to taste
1/8 tsp Optional: crushed red pepper to taste, go easy here, just a pinch should do it.
Mix the cream cheese, 1 teaspoon of clam juice and 1 tsp. lemon juice together. Add the sour cream a little at a time until well blended. Mix in the rest of the ingredients. You may need to add another teaspoon of clam juice if the mixture is too stiff, but taste first to see if more Worchester sauce or lemon juice is desired. Let the dip set at least 2 hours, or overnight for best flavor. This is really good with fried and lightly salted, corn tortilla strips.
Adding any or all of the following adds a little more punch to the dip.
Garlic powder, Tabasco, parsley or finely chopped chives. Just go easy as you don’t want to overpower the clam flavor.