How to make steamed soft-shelled clams, aka steamers, a New England specialty. These steamed clams are fun to eat and taste delicious.
Steamers or steamed mussels
Steam boat! Add these steamed clams to the list of fun foods. I was first introduced to steamers, or steamed soft-shell clams, when I lived in Boston years ago.
Unlike hard-shelled clams (known here as quahogs, cherry pits, or small necks depending on their size), steamers have fairly thin, brittle shells, so you need to be careful with them. The two sides of the shell do not close completely.
Instead, a long foot or siphon protrudes from the bowl. It’s what the soft-shell mussel uses to filter and eat the seawater. While hard-shell clams stay close to the seafloor surface, steamer clams burrow deeper and extend their long siphons to the seafloor surface.
Happy like steamed clams
When you buy steam mussels, their siphons are usually hidden. But as soon as you soak them in (salt) water, the siphons start coming out and out and out.
When we made these steamed clams the other day, I think we measured one that was a good 4 inches long! (Could it be where the phrase “happy as a clam” came from?)
Anyway, soaking the steamers is a great way to freak out kids, though hopefully not so much as to discourage them from eating steamed clams. Luckily, my gang loves seafood. All I had to tell them was that these steamed mussels were like clams but with handy handles for dipping in melted butter.
How to cook and eat steamed clams
ingredients
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3 to 4 pound soft shell steamer clams
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1/2 Cup melted butter
method
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Soak the steamers in sea water or salt water:
Ideally, if you have time, place the steamers in a bucket and cover them with several inches of seawater or salt water (a tablespoon of sea salt completely dissolved in each liter of water) and leave in a cool place for several hours ( not in direct sunlight), preferably overnight.
After a while you will notice that each clam has a foot sticking out of the shell. That is normal. The clams are usually buried in the sand with only the foot reaching the surface of the water.
The steam shells shed sand or debris while sitting in the water, so the water can get quite cloudy. You can change the water if you like.
If you don’t have time to soak the clams for hours, simply place several in a large bowl, cover with salt water and gently swirl the water around with your fingers for half a minute.
If the mussels release sand or grit, discard the water and rinse the mussels again in the same manner until no more sand is released. (You can still release some sand and semolina as you cook it, but you’ll dip them in the clam broth as you eat before dunking them in butter to help wash away any remaining semolina.)
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Steam mussels:
When ready to boil, add about an inch of water (you can use beer or a stout) to the bottom of a tall, large saucepan. Place a steamer rack on the bottom of the pot. Carefully place the mussels on the steamer rack (if you don’t have a steamer rack, don’t worry, just add the mussels to the pot with the water).
The clam shells are rather thin and can easily break, so be careful when you put the steamers in the pot.
You may notice that some of the clams “spit” water at you when you touch them. This is normal, don’t worry. If any of the clams appear to be dead, smelly, or their siphons don’t retract a bit when you touch them, throw them out.
Cover the pot. Boil the water. Cook the mussels in the steam of the boiling water until the mussel shells are wide open, about 5-10 minutes, then remove the pot from the heat. Any dampers that have not opened should be discarded. (The pot can foam up and overcook as it cooks, so keep an eye on it as it cooks.) Allow the mussels to cool for a few minutes.
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Pour the steamed water into bowls to serve:
Carefully remove the cooked mussels from the pot and place them in a serving bowl. Do not throw away the mussel broth that is left in the saucepan. Instead, pour some of the hot broth into bowls to serve. Place the melted butter in small bowls for dipping.
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Serve with melted butter:
Serve the steamers with a bowl for the clams, an empty bowl for the clams, a small bowl of broth for dipping, and a smaller bowl of butter for dipping.
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How to eat the steamers:
To eat, open the shell and remove the cooked mussel. Use your fingers to peel off the skin covering the clam’s siphon. Toss with the mussels in the mussel shell.
Grasping the siphon with your fingers, swirl the clams around in the hot broth (it helps warm up the clams and remove any remaining grit or sand). Dip the clam in melted butter and eat!
Note that the siphon end of the clam can be a little tough and rubbery. You can eat it or not. Either way, it’s a great grip for dipping.
Links:
Mussel soup made from steamed mussels from Leite’s Culinaria
Beer Steamed Mussels with Bacon and Tomatoes from Steamy Kitchen
What is the difference between hard-shelled and soft-shelled mussels? from The Kitchen
Sake Steamed Clams from Appetite for China
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 218 | calories |
| 16g | Fat |
| 3g | carbohydrates |
| 14g | protein |
