Ingredients

Clam

Other Names: Geoduck: Geoduck-muschel (German); king clam; mirugai (Japanese); panope (French). Hiatellidae. Hard-shell: Clame redonda (Portuguese); mercenaria, verigueto (Spanish); nimaigai (Japanese); palourde américaine, praire (French); quahaug (Great Britain); quahog; venusmuschel (German); vongola dura (Italian). Veneridae. Soft-shell: Almeja de rio, eito ama (Spanish); belly clam, fryer clam; gaper; Ipswich; longneck; mainmose; mia, mye (French); onogai (Japanese); sandklaffmuschel (German); squirt, steamer clam; vongole molle (Italian). Surf clam: Almeja blanca (Spanish); bar, giant, hen, sea, or skimmer clam; capa americana (Italian); mactre solide (French); nimaigai (Japanese); riesen-trogmuschel (German); spisula (Italian). Mactridae. Carpet-shell: Almeja fina (Spanish); amêijoa boa (Portuguese); chávaro (Greek); clovisse (Provençal); palourde (French); vongola verace (Italian). Golden carpet-shell: Achiváda (Greek); clovisse jaune (French); margarita (Spanish); mouhar (Tunisia); vongola gialla (Italian). Razor shell clam: Cannolicchio (Italian); capa longa (Venice); couteau, rasoir (French); grooved razor clam (Great Britain); gross scheindenmuschel (German); navaja (Spanish); solina (Greek). Solenidae.

General Description: Clams are bivalve mollusks with two shells (valves). They are as valued today as they were when Native American tribes harvested them for food and used the violet inner shell as wampum (money and ornaments).

Hard-shell clams

The hard-shell clam (Mercenaria mercenaria), also called quahog, has a thick grayish shell with a violet patch and can live for more than 150 years. They are harvested from sandy-bottomed bays and coves and along beaches by tongs, hand rakes, and hydraulic dredges. Eastern hard-shells, especially smaller little necks, are commonly served raw on the half-shell, but they are also used for clam chowder. Little necks, named after Little Neck Bay on Long Island, once a center of the clam trade, are the smallest hard clam. Somewhat larger cherrystones are often stuffed and baked. Smaller chowder clams may be cut into strips, breaded, and fried or used for chowder. The mahogany clam (Arctica islandica) is a small ocean quahog with mahogany-brown shells. Because they open up flat when steamed, they are not as desirable. American Mussel Harvesters has trademarked the name “golden necks” for their mahogany clams.

Left to right: Razor clams, Stimpson surf clams,
Mahogany clams

The surf clam (Spisula solidissima), served as fried clams at inexpensive restaurants, is dredged in large quantities off the East Coast. They are too big and tough to eat whole and are only sold processed. The Stimpson surf clam (Mactromeris polynyma), or hokkigai, which is native to the Canadian Maritimes, is prized in Japan as a delicacy for the red to purpleblack tips of its foot. Look for frozen hokkigai in Asian markets.

Steamer clams (Mya arenia), also called Ipswich clams after Ipswich, Massachusetts, which is famed for them, have long necks, soft hanging bellies, and fragile shells that don’t close completely. They are usually steamed or fried in batter or crumbs.

Manila clams

The Manila clam (Tapes japonica) was accidentally introduced to the United States in the 1920s in a shipment of Japanese seed oysters. They are the most common clam on the West Coast and can be served raw or steamed. The West Coast little neck (Protothaca staminea), not to be confused with the East Coast little neck, is harvested along with the Manila but costs less because it takes longer to steam open and has a shorter shelf life. The Venus clam (Chione undatella) is an excellent eating clam. The European carpet-shell clam (Tapes decussatus) is greatly esteemed by the French, Italian, and Spanish. They are essential to Neapolitan Spaghetti alle Vongole (steamed clams with spaghetti in garlic and white wine). The closely related golden carpet-shell (Venerupis aurea) is even smaller, not much bigger than a thumbnail, with beautiful zigzag patterns on the shell.

The Pacific razor clam (Siliqua patula) has a long, narrow, sharp-edged shell. They tend to be sandy and their tough meat must be cooked a long time or chopped up for tenderness. The European razor clam (Solen vagina) is similar in shape and may reach more than 5 inches in length. Much appreciated for their fine flavor, they are not easy to harvest, so they are not found in large quantities.

The geoduck clam (Panopea abrupta), pronounced “gooey-duck,” gets its name from a Northwest Nisqually Indian term meaning “dig deep.” The long, phallic siphon, the part eaten, protrudes from a pair of semiopen oval shells and has smooth, cream-colored flesh beneath the skin. Geoducks are harvested individually by divers who use water jets to loosen the sand around the clams. They are a delicacy in Asia. Dried geoduck is used in Chinese soups.

Locale and Season: East Coast hard-shells are found wild and farmed from the Canadian Maritimes to the Gulf of Mexico. Soft-shells are found from Newfoundland to North Carolina with peak season May to September. Surf clams are at peak season in spring and summer. Canadian hokkigai are individually frozen for sushi, averaging 18 per pound, with peak season for fresh hokkigai June to September. Manila clams are harvested primarily from farmed beds in Washington and from natural beds in British Columbia. Razor clams are abundant on beaches from California to Alaska and may be found in Asian markets. Geoducks are found in Puget Sound and the inland waters of British Columbia and southern Alaska, both wild and farmed. Carpet-shell clams are found throughout the Mediterranean and into the eastern Atlantic.

Characteristics: One pound of hard-shell clams yields 1/4 pound of meat. Littlenecks average 7 to 10 meats per pound, top necks 6 to 8, cherrystones 3 to 5, and quahogs 1 to 2. Darker, stronger-smelling ocean quahogs, usually labeled “ocean clams,” are less expensive than surf clams, usually labeled “sea clams.” A pound of soft-shell clams yields 6 to 8 ounces of meat and average 12 to 15 per pound with delicate, slightly salty meat and soft bellies. Mahoganies average 25 per pound; Manilas average 20 per pound. Geoducks weigh an average of 2 pounds. Clams have the firmest, best tasting meat and longest shelf life in winter.

How to Choose: A live hard-shell will have a tightly closed shell or will close if tapped. Avoid clams with broken or damaged shells; discard if the meat is dry when the clam is opened or the shell has dirt inside (called a “mudder”). The meat should be creamy tan and firm, the shell should be full of liquid, and it should smell briny. Take care that none are dead before cooking.

Choose soft-shell clams that are whole and clean, the siphon firm and plump, not flaccid or dry. If the clam moves when touched, it is alive. Though many people prefer geoducks with light beige siphons, the taste and texture is the same no matter what the color. Canned or fresh-shucked clams should be packed in plenty of sweet-smelling liquid.

Clams harvested in areas of pollution or naturally occurring red tide can cause serious infections or paralytic shellfish poisoning. Each bag of clams will carry a tag indicating its source and date of harvest, which should be checked. Clams from warm water in warm weather months may contain the vibrio bacteria that can sicken or even kill if eaten raw. Raw or partially cooked clams should not be eaten by people with compromised immune systems.

Storage: Cover clams with a damp towel to keep moist, and store in a cool, dark area of the refrigerator at 36°F–40°F. Don’t store on ice, as it will be too cold and the freshwater will shorten shelf life. Under ideal conditions, clams will stay alive for up to two weeks, although shelf life is much shorter in summer.

Preparation:
1. Scrub clams under cold running water using a stiff brush or an abrasive pad.
2. Soak clams in cold water to cover with 1 cup salt per 1 quart liquid for several hours, or overnight in the refrigerator. Scoop the clams from the water, leaving the sand behind.
To prepare geoducks, cut the long trunklike siphon away from the body, peel off the tough outer skin, and split in half lengthwise. Cut into paper-thin slices.
To prepare soft-shell clams, soak as in step 2, then pull off and discard the dark membrane that covers the siphon or “neck.”
3. Serve raw, steamed, breaded and fried, stuffed and baked, or pan-roasted.
To steam, set the clams over high heat in a small amount of liquid just until their shells open, removing each clam as its shell opens. Discard any clams that do not open after steaming for 5 to 10 minutes. Allow the broth to settle before serving, so any sand can fall to the bottom. Don’t serve the last half cup of broth, which will contain most of any sand.

Suggested Recipe: Clams Casino (Serves 4): Combine 1 diced roasted red pepper with 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons chopped garlic, the grated zest of 1 lemon, and hot red pepper flakes and black pepper to taste. Using a clam knife, pry open 2 dozen washed live littleneck clams, keeping all juices inside. Top each clam with a portion of the filling, mounding it up. Cover with several squares of diced bacon. Arrange on a metal baking pan and bake 15 minutes at 425°F or until browned and bubbling.

Flavor Affinities: Bacon, cream, garlic, ginger, hot red pepper flakes, lemon, mushroom, olive oil, onion, pancetta, potato, rice wine, shallot, soy sauce, thyme, tomato, white wine.

from Quirk Books: www.quirkbooks.com