Clam Talk
I am not a clam expert, but being a New Englander (NE), I do have fond memories of eating clams in a number of ways over the years. Whether, fried, steamed in a bake, little necks at the raw bar with a twist of lemon, cherrystones with a dab of Tabasco, American-Italian baked stuffed quahogs or chunks swimming in chowder, I love the mystery, tradition and simplicity that are a quest for tourists around the world and what is home to me. Whether waiting in a long summer line at Woodman’s of Essex, Ma or peeling off layers of winter clothing to grab a seat at Ye’ Ole Oyster House in Boston, I cannot get enough of my clammy friends.
So! I was at the North Shore Massachusetts Legal Seafood’s (Legals) location with my woman and we ordered a bowl of clam chowder, a dozen of raw cherrystones and a clam plate with two Harpoon “Old Salt” Ales to wash it all down. “Old Salt” Ale is made exclusively for Legals from Harpoon Brewery. It is a Hefe Ale and has a tinge of fennel, which can be served with a salted rim and lemon. Not an every day drinking beer, but a perfect compliment to a seafood lunch or dinner. As I chomped on the fried clams, I noticed that they were fried steamer clams with bellies. If there are not any bellies, then you are being served clam strips, which should not carry the same price tag. Anyway, I started to think about the types of clams that surface NE waters and why certain types are eaten in certain ways.
Here is a simple breakdown of common NE clam varietals the basic cooking methods they are used for.
Soft Shell (Steamer and piss clam)
For frying and steaming. They are also called piss clams, because when you step on the sand, a stream of water squirts up at you making them very easy to locate. They are easy to open, but you have to remove a gritty condom-like cover from the neck, before coating them with your batter of choice. This is another blog discussion, because there are many schools of thought on the best frying techniques.
Little Neck
They are usually 2-3/4 inches. Keeping them in cold water for a few hours will remove most of the grit and sand. They are usually eaten raw, because they are smaller, hence tastier than the larger cherrystone and easier to chew. I sometimes add horseradish and a squirt of lemon, but for the most part eat them as is to taste the freshness of the sea. You can also steam them in garlic, oil, crushed pepper and place over linguine.
Cherrystone
They are usually 3 inches. The cherrystone is the most common clam for eating raw, because they have more meat than the littleneck and are not as tough as the larger Quahog. You can also roast them on a bbq or cook in a broth.
Quahog (round clam)
Quahogs can grow up to 5 inches. They are tough to chew, so they are usually chopped up for NE clam chowder or minced up and mixed with breadcrumbs to bake.
Razor Clam
These clams look like a straight-edged razor. To be honest, when I find the shells on the beach, I use them for as incense holders or to swipe the crumbs off the dinner table. The west coast version is bbq’d and is very flavorful, but the only time I have ever seen them cooked in NE was by my father. They are not too popular in for eating in NE.
