Steamers! Add these clams to the list of foods fun to eat. I was first introduced to steamers, or steamed soft shell clams, when I lived in Boston years ago.
Unlike hard shell clams (known here as quahogs, cherry stones, or little necks, depending on their size), steamers have rather thin, brittle shells, so you have to be gentle with them. The two sides of the shell don’t close all the way.
Instead, protruding from the shell is a long foot, or siphon. It’s what the clam uses to filter the sea water and eat. While hard shell clams stay close to the surface of the sea floor, steamer clams bury themselves more deeply, and extend their long siphons to the sea floor surface.
When you buy steamer clams, their siphons are mostly tucked away. But as soon as you soak them in water, the siphons start to come out, and out, and out. When we made these the other day I think we measured one that was a good 4 inches long! (Could it be where the phrase, “happy as a clam” comes from?)
Anyway, soaking the steamers is a great way to freak out kids, though hopefully not so much as to dissuade them from eating them. Fortunately, my gang loves seafood. I just had to tell them they were like mussels, but with convenient handles for dipping into melted butter.
New England Steamers Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 pounds of soft shell steamer clams
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
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