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There may be more ways to eat clams than shrimp. Sorry, Forrest Gump.
●The simplest way is to eat them raw (live!). Use a fork, or just slurp from
the shell. A dab of cocktail sauce enhances the experience. Some
people like squirts of lemon juice or Tabasco sauce
.
● Fried clams, either "whole bellies" or clam strips (without the scary
parts) are probably the most popular. Use tartar sauce or cocktail sauce,
or mix them together
.
● Clams are often steamed above boiling water, or a mixture that
includes wine or beer, or just beer, and dipped in clam broth or melted
butter, or both. (I prefer steamed littlenecks to soft-shell "steamers").
● Clams are often minced, mixed with breadcrumbs and seasonings and
stuffed back in the shells and baked. My favorite variation is the spicy
stuffed quahog found on and around Cape Cod, in Massachusetts. New
England neighbor Rhode Island is home of the similar stuffy. Baked
stuffed clams -- if done right -- may be a decent alternative to stuffed
quahogs if you're off Cape Cod. You can get pretty good baked stuffed
clams at lots of restaurants, and at Costco -- nuke them in your
microwave and then broil them a bit to make top crispy.
●Clams can be stuffed into ravioli, fish, turkey, shrimp and mushrooms.
●Smoked clams, according to Amazon.com, are rich, delicate, and deeply
smoky, these tiny baby clams make a delightful snack or appetizer. Add
to creamy chowders or serve on canapé toasts, garnished with a zesty
tropical salsa.
●Lots of people like to stick their potato chips (or fingers) into a bowl of
clam dip. It's basically onion dip, with minced clams blended in.
●Clam chili is like chili con carne, but made with chopped clams, not
carne. I had it once in Portland, Maine, and didn't like it. I might try it
again in another restaurant.
●Clams Casino, like baked stuffed clams, are eaten from the shell.
They're juicy, not dry, and made with bacon, bits of pepper, garlic and
onion, and whole -- not chopped -- clams. Uninformed people put the
Casino name on baked stuffed clams with bacon on top. We've had
SUPERB clams casino brick oven pizza to Al Dente restaurant on
Bridgeport Avenue in Milford CT. Call 203 878-2727. Wonderful pasta
fazool, too.
and Italians.
Dishes like zuppa de clams, clams possilipo,
linguini with white or red clam sauce, clam pizza,
and clams fra diavolo are heavenly. The Italian
word for clams is vongole ("von yolay," or "von
joly" in the Bronx).
and stuffed clams, and
shrimp, and lobster, and
fish, and salads, and
sauces, and crusts, and and
and...well, you get the idea.
and clam
digging tools,
and even books
and boats
