The inter-tidal zone of Washington’s outer coast is a tough place to live. It’s freezing cold. It rains a lot. And huge waves pound the shore – day and night – a constant barrage of force.
It’s exhausting to stand knee deep in the swirling water for more than a few minutes – your toes grow numb, and the wave surge continually erodes your footing.
Yet the costal razor clam doesn’t just live in this environment, they wouldn’t have it any other way.
Not your average bi-valve, these fatties grow the length of your hand and eat sand for breakfast (actually they eat plankton, but they swallow a lot of sand in a given day). And speedy? They can burrow a foot in just a few seconds.
But best of all, they’re chock full of tender, delicious meat.
A springtime trip to the outer coast for a clam dig is one of those quintessential Pacific Northwest Experiences that everyone should try at least once. State biologists are predicting that 2014 will be a huge year for clamming numbers, thanks to favorable climate conditions that led to several good spawning events this winter.
The clamming season runs on select days between the end of March until the end of May. For more on how to dig, you can read Jeff’s article in The Seattle Times, or visit the state’s website.
Once you’ve harvested your bucket full o’ clams, it’s time to enjoy your bounty so here are three easy recipes to get you started.
Start with a 30 second boil until the shells pop open, then rinse in cold water
Next, clean your clams (YouTube has some good demonstration videos)
Greyland Clam Dip
Combine the following:
3-5 clams chopped into small bite sized pieces.
About 20 oz. of clam juice (we used the fresh water we were soaking our cleaned clams in, instead of canned clam juice.
16 oz cream cheese
Worcestershire to taste – about 1 Tbsp.
Fried Clam Fritters
1 egg
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
1 cup chopped clams
3 finely chopped green onions
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Beat the egg and slowly add flour. Gradually stir in remaining ingredients. Pat small disk-shaped patties about 2-3 inches long
Heat your oil on medium to medium high and fry the patties until golden brown. We used paper towels to soak up the excess oil. Serve alone or with a simple tarter sauce (or family’s recipe is simple: Miracle Whip, lemon juice and diced pickles)
New England Bacon Clam Chowder
1 1/4 pound minced clams and their clam water (about 2-3 cups)
4-5 thick bacon slices chopped into chunks
1 large chopped onion
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon chopped thyme
1 lb. red potatoes chopped into cubes
3 cups cream or half-and-half
Salt, pepper to taste
Cook the bacon in a soup pot until it’s crisp. Add onion and cook until soft. Add the flour and stir over medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
Whisk in the clam juice and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add clam juice as needed until the mixture has the consistency of heavy cream.
Stir in the thyme and potatoes and simmer until tender. In a side pan, simmer the clams and cream 5-8 minutes until the clams are tender. When the potatoes are tender, add the clams and cream and simmer 2 minutes.
Serve with crackers and salt and pepper to taste.
After a cold day of this, you’re going to want some bacon clam chowder!
This is just one day’s 15-catch limit. It netted more than enough clams for the recipes we’re suggesting