There are many different species of clams in the PNW. Cook them too fast, and you risk overcooking them, which can cause them to be a bit tough and fall out of their shells. Cooking slowly will help all the clams open. Plan on a half pound to 2 pounds per person, depending on the dish. There's often a little bit of sand in the bottom of a clam steaming pot, so keep that in mind as you prepare your meal. Crowded clams can't open, and undercooked clams don't open, so give the late bloomers a bit of space, and a bit more time on the stove, before you toss them out. BUT if you know that the clams were alive and happy when you put them in the pot, you have a bit more leeway. (Savory and manila clams cook up slightly differently from one another - read below for more detail).Īlmost every clam recipe out there will tell you to toss the unopened clams. Stir or shake the pot during cooking so that all the clams have room to open up. Clams cook like popcorn: some cook faster than others. Steam the clams on medium heat, with the lid on, for 5 to 7 minutes. Add a bit of liquid to get things started. Put clean clams in a pot or a pan with a lid. (Unsoaked clams bring plenty of salt to whatever dish you're preparing). Keep in mind soaking reduces their salt content, so you might need to adjust your seasoning. Don't let them sit in fresh water for too long, because that will kill them eventually. (This piece of advice comes from our good friend and amazing chef Renee Erickson).
HALF WING STEAM FREE
If you want to take this extra step to be sure they're free of grit, just put them in cold fresh water for about half an hour, changing the water two or three times. We give the clams time to purge before we ship them, so most of us don't soak our clams. These are terrible to cook, and they're sneaky because they don't sound hollow.
HALF WING STEAM FULL
And look for mudders (which are dead clams full of mud). Use your senses as you do this: listen for clunkers (sign of a dead clam or chipped shell).
Rinsing / Soaking:īefore you cook the clams, rinse them under fresh water to remove any grit or algae from the shells. Dead clams will gape open completely and should be thrown out. Live clams should still close up when you tap on them or warm them up a bit.
If they've been in cold storage for a few days, they might gape open slightly. Keep your clams in a refrigerator until you're ready to cook them. But you won't mess up, because here are our best tips. even when you mess up a bit, they're still delicious. And clams, gotta bless em, are such sweet forgiving critters.
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