Learn how to make delicious and safe steamed clams by cleaning them properly, knowing which ones are safe to eat, and choosing the right dipping sauce. Soak them in brine to remove sand, check for live clams, scrub them well, and steam them for 5-10 minutes.
Steamed clams have long been a favorite from coastal Maine to California. Steamed clams are very easy to make, but the home cook should be familiar with a few tips for keeping diners safe and clams delicious. Cleaning sand clams, knowing which steamed clams are safe to eat, and simple recommendations on the tastiest dipping sauces will ensure everyone who dives into the cook’s tasty offerings has a good experience.
Clams are one of many types of shellfish. Their empty shells scatter beaches around the world, and many children have dug for them in the wet sand. The clam keeps itself safe inside its shell, but usually contains a good deal of sand as well. Nothing is worse than trying to enjoy steamed clams that haven’t been properly cleaned and still contain unpleasantly gritty bits of sand.
Luckily, getting clams to give up sand isn’t difficult. Soaking them in brine before cooking causes them to spit out the sand. Some cooks claim that a little pepper in the soaked water causes them to give up faster. An hour-long soak in cold running water is optimal, but as little as 20 minutes may suffice.
The quickest way to first aid is to eat a bad clam. Usually these are clams that have died before cooking and in which the decomposition process has already begun. It’s important for the home cook to separate the fast from the dead.
Pulling clams that have slightly opened shells from the herd and lightly poking the shells against the edge of the counter is a surefire way to figure out which ones are safe to eat. Anyone who doesn’t take offense and folds tight within a couple of minutes is most likely ready for the grave and should be thrown out. The wise cook will give any clams a good visual check for deep cracks or chipped areas and cast those clams too.
Once you’ve seized the live clams, it’s time to scrub them well under cold running water. Most cooks prefer a stiff wire brush for this task because dirt and debris can lodge in the deep grooves of the shells. It’s important to take this step carefully, remembering that anything left on the shell will go into the cooking water, and the water may not kill all bacteria, parasites, or other undesirables.
Steam the clams with a dedicated steamer or simply by placing them on a rack that fits inside a pot in which about an inch of water boils. In five to ten minutes it does the trick. By this time, most of the clams will have opened their shells. Those that don’t have are unsafe to eat.
There’s no need to dunk steamed clams in fancy sauces. It’s the natural sweet and salty flavor that clam lovers crave. Some diners insist that the only dipping sauce needed is their cooking liquid. Others like to add a little butter to the hot liquid or scrap it together in favor of melted butter and a squirt of lemon juice.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
