Steamers will keep dinner guests happy as clams

This is a great time of year to invite a few folks over and gather around a bowl of freshly cooked steamer clams.

It’s good eating at its friendliest; a straightforward culinary event requiring nothing more than hearty appetites, and a generous supply of great-quality crusty bread to sop up the flavorful juices in the bowl.

The clams to use for this fun and delicious activity are the so-called steamer clams. That’s actually how you’ll find them labeled in most fish markets.

Here in the Pacific Northwest, the clams you’re most likely to encounter within this category are the native littleneck clam, the butter clam and the Manila clam. But don’t get too wrapped around the idea of having to know what kind of clams you’re purchasing, because chances are your shellfish provider won’t be able to tell you.

They should know where they come from, though, which in many cases will be Washington, since there’s a thriving commercial clamming industry going on the coast.

Now, for Steamer Clams 101, here’s all you need to know to get started: You’re dealing with a live organism. And you want them to be that way right up until you cook them. So, before cooking, discard any clams that aren’t closed (or don’t close when you nudge or tap them on their shell). After cooking, discard any clams that didn’t open during cooking.

It’s that simple. Really.

In between those two activities, all you’re doing is exposing some fresh and succulent bivalves to a bit of flavored liquid and heating them until they open up.

Throw that pot of cooked-up steamers into the center of a dinner table surrounded by people and discover just how easy it is to please a group of friends.

Some things to keep in mind about steamer clams:

Do not store fresh clams in an air tight container or pot of tap water.

Do store fresh clams at 37 degrees (refrigerator temperature) in a bucket or bowl with a damp towel covering them. They’ll actually last for several days this way.

Only use clams that are alive and fresh. Discard any clams with broken shells. The first sign of a fresh and lively clam is that its shell is closed. If some are open when you’re sorting them before cooking, give a gentle nudge or tap gently on the shell. If it doesn’t shut, discard it.

When cooking is complete, discard any clams that have not opened (if you get curious and decide to open one of these guys, you’ll typically find they’re just filled with sand).

Cleaning your clams: If you buy your steamers at a store, as opposed to digging them up yourself, they’re likely to come extremely clean. But it never hurts to give them a thorough going over and scrubbing before cooking.

Next, you might consider placing them in a large pot of water (3 to 4 quarts), along with about 1/3 cup of salt. The salinity of the water keeps the clams happy for just a little longer … but you’ll see from some of the recipes below, that not everyone abides by this step.

Keep them in this water for no longer than 15 minutes, just to give the clams a chance to eliminate a little more sand.

What you cook your clams in is really up to you. To get launched, I highly recommend trying Bay Street Crab Company’s straightforward approach (see recipes below), which is fairly classic wine, garlic and a little bit of seasoning. But variations abound, so don’t be shy to create your own specialty of the house.

From extra-garlicky to smoky-hot chipotle chilies, the outcome can be anything from subtle to fiery.

Down here in Corvallis, I’ve tasted the entire range in local restaurants and have yet to encounter anything less than fabulous. These chefs definitely have a passion for steamers.

I asked the restaurants that produce my four favorite approaches to cooking steamer clams — Big River, Iovino’s, Le Bistro and Bombs Away Cafe — if they’d be willing to share. Happily, they all were just that.

Here’s how Harry, Annette, and the gang at Bay Street Crab Company in Corvallis do it. You can’t get much more straightforward than this:

Bay Street’s clams

Rinse the clams a few times to remove sand.

Pour some inexpensive dry white wine over the clams in the pot — it doesn’t even have to cover the clams. Toss in several cloves of garlic and a squeeze of fresh lemon (now drop that squeezed wedge in the pot). Add a bay leaf and sprinkling of Italian seasoning (if you feel like it), and some salt and pepper.

Put the lid on the pot. Turn the burner up to high. Once you see steam coming out from under the lid, the clams are open and ready to eat.

Throw the pot on the table. Dip clams in garlic butter, dip bread in juice.

Chef/owner John Huyck of Bombs Away Cafe in Corvallis offers a zesty Southwest approach to steamer clams. It’s a popular item on his menu — for very good reason, I might add.

Bombs Away Cafe chipotle clams

Saute clams in butter, onions and garlic until they start to open, then deglaze the pan with wine, stirring and scraping to dissolve the flavorful cooked-on bits of food at the bottom of the pan. Add the cilantro and chipotle. Simmer until the clams completely open (discarding any that don’t), then serve immediately with lemon wedges. Use bread to sop up all the goodness after the clams are gone.

Serves four.

Note: You can find canned Chipotle con Escabeche at most grocery stores. Check in the Mexican or ethnic food section. Puree what you need and store the rest in the refrigerator in a container made of glass or nonreactive metal.

This is only one approach of many that owner/chef Robert Merlet of Le Bistro in Corvallis takes with steamer clams.

He invited me into his kitchen one morning for a lesson. It was an enlightening (and delectable) activity, indeed. Robert cooked up five different styles, but I thought I’d share one of his most basic and classic offerings.

Le Bistro <

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steamed clams <

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with leeks, ginger and soy sauce

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

Cut a piece of parchment paper (available in cookware shops or in the cookware aisle of a well-stocked market) to 16 by 24 inches. Nestle the parchment into a mixing bowl.

You won’t be cooking in the bowl, it’s just to support the parchment as you build your package of clams for the oven.

Place your thoroughly washed clams in the center of the parchment. Add the white wine, olive oil, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. The liquid should almost cover the clams — you may need to add a little more white wine.

Create a "boat" by twisting opposite ends of the parchment, leaving the top slightly open down the center.

Spray a baking pan or a pizza round with nonstick vegetable oil spray so that the package of clams will slide easily off the pan after cooking. Gently lift the parchment boat by its twisted sides and place on the baking pan.

Generously spray the outside of the parchment with the nonstick spray so the paper doesn’t turn black during cooking.

Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the liquid comes to a boil and the clams are open. Remove from oven and gently slide the package onto a serving plate.

Garnish with fresh lemon wedges and fresh Italian parsley. Serve immediately.

Serves two as a wonderful first course; one as a meal.

For larger servings: Instead of parchment, use double-lined heavy duty foil. This works great for outdoor grills or indoor ovens. Cooking time will vary; just wait for clams to open.

You’re gonna want to have plenty of bread on hand to sop up the juices from this flavorful recipe. Buttery and garlicky. Yum!