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From: kelem@ucla-cs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.cooks
Subject: Re: Clam experts sought (long)
Message-ID: <6137@ucla-cs.ARPA>
Date: Tue, 25-Jun-85 14:09:55 EDT
Article-I.D.: ucla-cs.6137
Posted: Tue Jun 25 14:09:55 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 29-Jun-85 02:46:01 EDT
References: <> <140@telesoft.UUCP> <954@mhuxt.UUCP>
Reply-To: kelem@ucla-cs.UUCP (Steve Kelem)
Organization: UCLA Computer Science Department
Lines: 99
Keywords: clams, mussels
Summary: 

In article <954@mhuxt.UUCP> js2j@mhuxt.UUCP (sonntag) writes:
>
>     However, my cookbook says absolutely nothing about how to prepare clams.
The informative pamphlet (No. 8) "How to Cook Clams" is published by the Fish
and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of the Interior and is available from:
    Superintendent of Documents
    Government Printing Office
    Washington, D.C. 20402
I got mine around 15 years ago when it cost 30 cents.

>	1.)  Is steaming the only (or best) way to get the little buggers to
>	     come out of their shells?  (I thought of hiring some seagulls
>	     to carry them high above my sidewalk and ... but finally decided
>	     that steaming was more practical.)
Well, shucks, there's nothing to opening a clam (or mussel).  But first,
you want the clams to get rid of all the sand and other junk they've filtered
out of the surf.  Says HtCC, "Cover the clams with clean sea water or 2% brine
(1/3 Cup salt to 1 gallon of tap water) and let stand for 15 or 20 minutes
to allow the clams to cleanse themselves of sand...Change the water and let
stand a little while two or three times."

An improvement to those directions is to sprinkle some cornmeal into the
brine.  This won't fatten the clams significantly, but will force more junk
out of their digestive tracts.  I let them sit for a couple of hours or even
overnight.
[Note that if you're doing this with mussels, you've first got to scrub the
shells to clean off the kelp and barnacles (if you caught the mussels).
Use a wire brush.  After the mussels are in the brine they will try to attach
themselves by their beards (byssus) to the container (and the other mussels).
So don't be alarmed when a wormlike appendage pokes out from the hinge-side of
the shell.]

There are two ways to open a bivalve:
    1.  For raw clams or half-shell recipes...
	Shuck it by inserting the tip of a strong, thin knife between the
	halves of the shell.  BE CAREFUL!  It's easy for the knife to slip.
	Bivalves hold themselves together with two adductor muscles,
	near the hinge, one on either side.  Once the muscles have been cut,
	the bivalve opens right up.  Drink or save the liquid that comes out.
	(See below)
    2.  For other cooking recipes, put the clams or (cleaned) mussels in a big
	pot with 1/2 cup white wine.  Bring to a simmer.  Within a few minutes
	the ones on the bottom will open up.  Remove them with tongs.
	Sometimes you can remove a mussel's beard by pulling it against the
	hinge.  Otherwise, remove the beard after the mussel has been opened.
	Cut the adductors.  The liquid from the bivalves will contribute
	to the wine in the pot.  After they've been opened use some of
	the liquid in your recipe (it's strong and salty so don't use a lot).
	The clams or mussels can be removed from the shells to make it easier
	for the diners or you can leave them in for an "all hands on meal".

>	2.)  Is it *really* all right to eat *everything* inside the shells?
>	     I mean, some of it is obviously stomach and contents...
Clams taste sweeter when they are eaten raw.  The squeamish sometimes scrape
away the brownish parts (liver?) which are a little bitter.  It's a good idea
to squeeze some lemon juice on the raw clam to make sure it's alive.
It will wriggle to let you know it's ok to eat it.  If it doesn't wriggle,
it's probably dead.  If you don't know the time of death, throw it away.
There's nothing as unpleasant as shellfish poisoning.  If it's alive you can
eat it in bites or just chew it up in your mouth.  Don't swallow it whole.
You won't taste anything.  Don't bother eating mussels raw.  They have a strong
iodine flavor when raw.

>	3.)  I've tried them in chowder and deep fried after being dipped
>	     in the stuff Mom always made to fry onion rings in.  Are there
>	     any other good ways to have them?
>	I want to hear some response on this subject.  Don't clam up on me.

Shuck a dozen clams or mussels and arrange them "on the half-shell".
Cover them with a paste made of butter, parsley, garlic, parmesan, and
bread crumbs.  Broil until the bread crumbs are lightly browned.
Fight over who gets thirds.

Steam a pot of mussels and (optionally) discard the emptied shells.
Put the mussels and mussel broth (to taste) in marinara sauce and serve
plain or on spaghetti.

For more recipes,
see "How to Cook Clams" (above) or "Stalking the Blue-Eyed Scallop" by
Euell Gibbons.  HtCC has about two dozen recipes.  StBES has a few recipes
intermingled with entertaining stories of how to catch mollusks and
crustacea.  Lest you think Euell was crazy, here's his improvement to steamed
mussels.
    Beat together 2 egg yolks and 1/4 cup of rich cream.
    Add 1 cup of the winy both from the steamed mussels.
    Cook and stir in the top of a double boiler until the roux thickens to
    the consistency of smooth gravy.
    Add chopped parsley and chives.
    Pour this over the mussels on the half shell and serve hot.

One last note- if you're going to catch mollusks:
    Check for quarantines.
    Don't catch them when there's a red tide.  (A red tide is caused by certain
    photoplankton are present in the summer and autumn that glow red in the
    surf.)  Eating shellfish from a red tide can cause paralytic shellfish
    poisoning.
    Only catch them in months WITH an r (in English), since these are the
    winter months when the red tide is absent.
    Get your ocean-waters fishing license (if your state requires it).