Everything you need to know about Clams
Championed for their briny taste and tender bite, clams have been enjoyed for centuries. In New England, hard-shell clams, gathered by raking or dredging below the tide-level, are often called quahogs.
The briny taste of the ocean in every bite
Quahogs generally measure between three and six inches and, because the texture of large quahogs can be tough, they're best chopped up for chowders and stuffing. Smaller clams, known as littleneck clams or cherrystones, are so sweet and tender, they can be steamed or eaten raw.
Clambakes are a favorite New England tradition
A seaside clambake is a traditional New England ritual in which clams and lobsters are cooked in a pit dug in the sand. Preparation for a clambake starts hours before the actual cooking.
The pit is lined with large stones, then filled with firewood that burns down to coals and heats the stones. Once the stones are hot enough, the pit is layered with wet seaweed, clams, whole lobsters and all the trimmings for an ideal meal on a summer day at the beach.
From the "Legal Sea Foods Cookbook" by Roger Berkowitz and Jane Doerfer, illustrated by Edward Koren.