Instructions: Cut the fish into 1 1/2-inch pieces, sprinkle with the peppers and thyme (salt will come from the clams and salt pork), and put aside.

Scrub the clams well under cold water to rid them of sand and put them in a pot with a little water on the bottom. Cover pan tightly and steam the clams until the shells open, about 15 minutes. Remove the clams from their shells, saving the broth for the stock. Slip the black skin from the foot. If the clams are large, chop the meat of the foot, and leave the soft part in one piece. If clams are small, use whole. Strain clam broth through cheesecloth into the stock. Add water, if needed, to make 6 cups.

Fry salt pork until crisp in a ceramic-lined or non-metallic kettle and add onions to soften gently without browning. Add potatoes and then cover with the fish stock. Simmer about 5 minutes. Add milk and cream, the seasonings, and the chopped tomatoes. (If you have chopped the clam meat, add it now.) Simmer another 5 minutes and taste for seasonings. Remove pan from heat. Add fish and clams (whole or the soft bellies) and refrigerate overnight.

Reheat in a 200 to 225 degree oven just below the simmering point. Put a tablespoon of butter in each soup bowl, add soup, and crumble crackers on top or serve them separately.

This recipe yields 8 servings.

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