CLAMS:
A Shell Game Worth Playing
This article first appeared in the Wine
Spectator.
In Fading Feast, food critic Raymond Sokolov argues that “the New
England clambake has as much claim to the title of our national feast as
Thanksgiving.” Not surprising since clams were much more evident
at that first Thanksgiving than turkeys. “North America is the best
place in the world for clams,” writes Alan Davidson in Seafood, A
Connoisseur’s Guide and Cookbook. But don’t wait for a clambake
to enjoy America’s favorite bivalve.
Clams fall into two categories, hard shelled and soft shelled. The gray,
hard-shelled clams found in bays, tidal flats, and beaches on the East Coast
are all members of the same species. They are distinguished only by size
and are the most widely available fresh clams. (Ocean clams are used in canned
and frozen products.) Button clams are the smallest of these hard-shelled
clams. They are just right for linguine with clam sauce, though the more
accessible littlenecks are typically used. The larger littlenecks, about
14 per pound, are also great in a seafood stew or steamed by themselves.
Top necks, which come 10 to 12 a pound, have great flexibility. Steam them, turn them into clams casino (baked with breadcrumbs and bacon), serve them raw on the half shell, or pair them with other seafood. Cherrystones are in a kind of clam no man’s land as far as Bob Groben is concerned. “They’re too big to put on the half shell and too small to chop up for chowder,” says Groben, who owns Groben’s Seafood, a retail store in Philadelphia. Nonetheless, at 8 to 10 a pound, many think cherrystones are just fine on the half shell, grilled, baked, or used in clams casino.
Hefty quahogs are the offensive linemen of the clam world at about 5 per pound. They are also as tough as leather helmets, so they have to be chopped for dishes like chowder. Most people steam quahogs first, but Groben shucks them raw, then grinds them in a food processor. Like other Rhode Islanders, Ralph Conte, owner of Raphael Bar-Risto in Providence, RI, makes his chowder with a clear broth, no cream (New England) or tomato (Manhattan).
Eastern hard shelled clams can be found year round from Canada to Florida. Groben shies away from warm water clams because they’re more perishable. Conte thinks cold water clams taste better. “New England littlenecks are vibrant, clean and salty. Clams from down south don’t have the same quality,” he says.
There are three main types of West Coast hard-shelled clams, all available year round. Manila clams are the dominant hard-shelled clams from central California to British Columbia. They’re sweeter than eastern clams because they have lots of glycogen. Manila clams are typically steamed and not served raw on the half shell.
The giant geoduck (pronounced gooey duck) looks like a prop from the X-Files. It can reach up to 9 pounds but is more commonly harvested at 2 to 3 pounds. The trunk-like meat, which overflows the shell, needs to be pounded into submission, like abalone, then sliced and quickly sautéed. The Japanese, who prize the geoduck, slice it paper thin and serve it sashimi style.
Razor clams get their name from their shells, which look like glossy straight razors, though most razor clams are sold out of their shells. Paul Ornstein, executive chef of the Southpark Seafood Grill & Wine Bar in Portland, Or. sautés them quickly and serves them with white wine butter, or hazelnuts and lemon zest. If you find them in the shell, sprinkle them with Parmesan cheese and quickly broil them for a terrific appetizer. Chileans love them this way.
There is basically only one soft-shelled clam, but it has more nicknames than God: steamer, piss clam, maninose, nannynose, Ipswich, squirt clam and long-neck to name a few. The last moniker is indicative of the clam’s protruding neck, which has to be peeled, a turnoff for some. “Every so often I bring in Ipswich clams and people have no idea what they are. I wind up eating them myself,” Ornstein says.
Because soft shells don’t close tightly—hence their other name, gapers—they must be purged of sand by soaking for several hours in water and cornmeal. Soft shells are also more perishable and more expensive, two reasons why Groben doesn’t carry them. But New Englanders love them, usually steamed and dipped in melted butter.
Farming now represents roughly 40 to 50 percent of all fresh clams sold, according to Tim Parsons, sales and marketing director of Cherrystone Aqua Farms in Cheriton, Va., which farms littlenecks. Cherrystone’s 50 million clams this year will exceed Virginia’s entire wild harvest. Unlike salmon farms, where fish are fed specific diets in a tightly controlled atmosphere, farmed clams are raised in the same environment as wild clams, which gives them a similar taste. And because harvesting is tightly controlled—“We only ship what we can sell, usually within 24 hours of harvesting” Parsons says—farmed clams tend to be fresher and have a longer shelf life than wild clams.
Clams don’t yet have the cachet of oysters. There are no comparative clam tastings and wine matchings. “We’re about 10 years behind the oyster industry,” Parsons says. Tom Bettinger, director of international sales for Taylor United Inc. in Shelton, Wash., the largest clam farmer on the West Coast, thinks one reason is that clams tend to be cooked, whereas oysters are more often eaten raw, when subtle distinctions are more noticeable. Another factor is that clams aren’t raised in as many places as oysters, so the effect of terroir isn’t as evident. But that’s changing as companies like Taylor start raising clams in places as far-flung as the island of Hawaii and Baja, Mexico.
Though you might be tempted heading back from the beach, avoid clams from roadside freelancers. The clams could be from unapproved waters. All shellfish are strictly regulated and must be accompanied by a tag of origin. Hard-shelled clams should be closed and stored in the refrigerator in a bowl or colander covered with a damp towel. They’ll last about 5 days, 2 days if shucked. Before cooking, brush off any surface dirt under cool running water. Clams that don’t open easily during cooking can be pried open with a knife. If they don’t smell bad, they’re fine. Clams are cooked as soon as they open unless you like the texture of erasers.
Steaming is probably the simplest way to enjoy clams, particularly littlenecks.
Ralph Conte makes a sensational steamed clam dish called clam zuppa. First
sauté onions, garlic and clams in butter and olive oil. Add white
wine when the onions become translucent. Cover the pot until the clams open.
Then add fresh herbs like parsley or basil and crushed red pepper—you
can also add some chopped tomato. Serve with crunchy Italian bread.
It’s hard to find any seafood that’s more accommodating to seasonings
than clams. Any Column A, Column B Chinese restaurant worth its fortune cookies
has clams with black bean sauce. On the Iberian Peninsula clams and pork
are a favorite combo. I made a wonderful Portuguese stew of clams (top necks
or littlenecks) with cubed pork loin, sweet peppers, and tomatoes that my
friends raved about. And don’t forget garlic. I can still smell the
garlicky, fingernail sized clams I ate years ago in a seafood shack in the
Camargue region of France.
Most unoaked dry white wines are good choices with claims. I particularly liked Sancerre and a Macon with clams on the half shell. With spicier clam dishes, try Vouvray. For richer dishes, try Pouilly-Fume. While it might seem sacrilegious to eat clam chowder with anything but beer, a crisp Pinot Grigio went well with my Rhode Island version. Fino sherry is a great choice for steamed clams or baked clams, especially with nuts. When choosing reds, stick with fruity wines with low tannins like the young Tempranillo I had with that pork and clam stew. And if you decide to serve clams for Thanksgiving, you’re on your own.