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Published: May 20, 2008 09:40 pm
All clammed up!
Plain or dressed up, clams make a tasty meal
Tina and Leonard Bailey
Cooking With You
Clams are a tasty and easy to prepare food item. Clams are simple, yet their addition to a dish can make it elegant and even exotic. They are also a versatile food that can be prepared and eaten in many different ways. Clams can be eaten raw, boiled, broiled, grilled, baked, steamed or fried. They also are a wonderful addition to pasta dishes.
Due to West Virginia’s landlocked location, clam dishes aren’t as prevalent here as they are in other parts of the country. Chef Leonard and I grew up in New England, where clams were common in the local cuisine and used as an ingredient in many dishes. It wasn’t until we moved out of New England that we realized we came from an area with a unique cuisine.
While living in Iowa for four years, Chef and I became homesick for the food flavors and combinations that we grew up eating. Unfortunately, none of the restaurants in the area where we lived offered anything remotely resembling the food of southeastern New England; and clams were one of the foods that we missed the most.
I had an embarrassing experience at a restaurant in Iowa that I will never forget. The menu at a new establishment listed “steamers.” I was overcome with joy, because I hadn’t eaten “steamers” since leaving New England. In New England when you order “steamers,” you get a platter of steamed clams served with melted butter and lemon. I asked the waiter, “Do you serve your steamers by the dozen, because I’m hungry?” The waiter gave me a puzzled looked. To my chagrin, I found out that “steamers” in Iowa were steamed hot-dogs. No wonder he gave me such a peculiar look!
There are over 2,000 varieties of clams and they have been a food source since prehistoric times. Clams can be found in both sea water and fresh water. Clams are a seasonal item, harvested from May through August; although you can purchase canned and frozen clam products any time of the year.
Fresh (live) whole clams are wonderful to work with. If you buy them fresh (live), be sure to discard any that have died in transit. Live clams will stay closed, or will close if you tap the shell. An uncooked clam that is open and doesn’t close when you tap it has died and should not be consumed.
Fresh clams may be easily prepared simply by steaming or sautéing. Serving clams right in the shell makes for a unique presentation, as well. You can serve the clams plain with some melted butter for dipping or dress them with a spicy sauce or reduction. Clams Casino is also a popular dish using the whole, live clam in its entirety.
The most popular clam dishes in New England however, contain clams that have been removed from the shell and chopped. Chopped clams are used in seafood stuffing, clam fritters and linguini with clam sauce. And although people don’t believe us when we tell them, Chef and I grew up eating clam and bacon pizza. I kid you not, chopped clams make a wonderful pizza topping!
Chopped clams are also used in clam chowder, which is perhaps the most universally known clam dish. Incidentally, there are three types of clam chowder in the Northeast and there is a much heated debate over which one is the best. The most well-known chowder is the creamy, white chowder, which most people call, “New England” clam chowder.
In Rhode Island, where Chef Leonard grew up, they serve a clear broth clam chowder, which contains the same components as the traditional New England style chowder, minus the milk/cream. This second type of chowder is called either “Clear” chowder or “Rhode Island” chowder.
The third type of clam chowder is called “Manhattan” clam chowder. It is also a clear broth style chowder, but it contains a greater variety of vegetables, most notably, corn. It is sometimes called “red chowder” because it also contains stewed tomatoes.
Fried clam dishes are also prevalent. Fried whole-belly clams are one of Chef Leonard’s favorite dishes; however I think most people are more familiar with fried clam strips. In southeastern Connecticut, were I grew up, one of the seafood dishes that the public school system served on Fridays was a “clam roll.” A clam roll is simply a hot-dog roll filled with fried clam strips. You pick it up and eat it like a sandwich.
Regardless of how you prepare them, I highly recommend trying this culinary delight. Clams are easy to prepare and make a wonderful accompaniment to any style meal. Clams dishes can be elegant for an upscale event or modest for a simple family cookout. I promise you, no matter how you choose to cook them, clam dishes are sure to please any palate.
Simple steamed clams (steamers)
2 dozen medium-sized whole (live clams) littleneck or cherrystone clams work well
2 cloves minced garlic
1 shallot, chopped
1 tablespoon oil
1-1/2 cups white wine
1 lemon, cut into wedges
1/2 teaspoon thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
Sort through clams and discard any dead ones. In a pan, sauté garlic and shallot in oil. Deglaze the pan with white wine. When wine has begun to reduce and come to a simmer, add spices and lemon wedges, followed by the clams. Cover tightly to steam and cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove clams from pan and transfer to serving dish. Spoon over a small amount of steaming liquid. Serve with melted butter for dipping. Using a fork, eat the clam directly from the shell, dipping in butter first if desired.
Clams Casino
2 dozen medium-sized whole (live clams) littleneck or cherrystone clams work well
1 pound of sliced bacon
1 chopped red pepper
1 chopped green pepper
1 shallot, chopped
Oil, for sautéing
1-1/2 cups softened butter
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
In a skillet with a small amount of oil, sauté peppers and shallots until soft and then set aside and allow to cool. Shuck clams, removing the top shell, but keeping the bottom shell with clams intact. Keep as much juice as possible in each shell bottom. Arrange bottom halves (containing clams) on a cookie sheet. Combine butter, bread crumbs, salt and pepper, lemon juice and pepper/shallot mixture. Mix well. Place a scoop atop each clam, forming a mound. Cut bacon slices to size and place atop each clam. When all have been assembled, place in a 375-degree oven and cook about 20 minutes. May broil near the end of cooking time to crisp bacon. Serve as appetizer or as a main entrée, with a side such as rice pilaf.
Simple linguine with red clam sauce
1 cup chopped canned clams (with juice) or one 8-ounce can
1 clove minced garlic
1/4 cup white wine
One 26-ounce jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
1 box of linguine, cooked according to directions.
In a skillet with a small amount of oil, sauté garlic. Deglaze the pan with white wine and clam juice. Add sauce, clams, sugar and salt and pepper to pan. Cook about 15 minutes to allow flavors to mingle. Toss sauce with prepared linguine. Serve with garlic bread and enjoy!
Traditional New England clam chowder
Two 6-8-ounce cans of chopped clams (reserve liquid)
6 slices of bacon
1 rib of celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon thyme
3 potatoes, peeled and cut into large dice
5 cups whole milk
1/2 cup flour
In a soup pot, sauté bacon. When crisp, remove from pot and set aside. Next, sauté celery, onion and potatoes in bacon grease. Once vegetables begin to soften, add clam liquid and clams. Return bacon to the pan. Season with thyme, salt and pepper. Mix milk with flour and add to the pan, stirring well to incorporate. Do not boil. Cook at a low simmer for 20 minutes before serving. Chowder should thicken during cooking.
— Chef Leonard and
Tina Bailey for The National Institute of Culinary Arts, MSU
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