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Oregon Steamer Clams
Ahh, nothing is better than a nice hot bowl of steamed clams on a cold winter day - or a cool summer evening.
There are many types of clams available. Being a west-coaster, we prefer either Pacific Littlenecks or Manila clams. If you're an east-coaster, there are small littlenecks, round clams or in New England "quahogs", cherry clams which are slightly larger and chowder clams which are even bigger but tougher, and the soft shells - long necks, squirt clams, and belly clams.
If you want raw clams on the half shell, you will need to shuck them open with a knife. This is a difficult process at best, which is one of the reasons we prefer steaming - they open by themselves.
Recipe
Purchasing Clams:
- Look for about 18-24 moist clams with shells. It doesn't matter if they're slightly open, as long as when you tap them gently they close. It means they're alive and fresh.
- Take them home and refrigerate in a dish with water and some sea salt, a brine for them to continue living.
Preparing Steamers:
- Scrub the clams under cold running water.
- With 4 quarts of water and 1/3 cup of salt, soak the clams in a large pot for 15 minutes, drain, and soak them again. The purpose of all of this scrubbing and soaking is to remove sand, since the clam's eating process involves eating a lot of sand too, which you don't want to munch on when eating the final product.
Cooking Steamers:
- Draining your large pan, add enough water to cover the bottom to 1/2 inch depth. Bring to a boil with two pats of butter and a small pour of olive oil. Add sliced crushed parsley and tarragon, with the juice of one fresh lemon. Also add 1/4 cup of crushed sea salt. Finally, add 1/2 cup of a full-bodied, slightly sweet yet not sour Chardonnay, plus a handful of minced garlic and white onion.
- Pour the clams into a steamer basket, or a caulender fitting the pan will work too.
- Steam covered for 5-7 minutes or until shells are opened. Throw away any clams that don't open.
- Spoon the clams into a bowl with the liquid (their "liquor", or flavor, will be included) or on top of a pasta such as linguini.
- Serve with fresh sourdough bread and a summer salad, such as Italian greens and cherry tomatoes with a vinaigrette dressing. Some white or yellow corn boiled or grilled on the cob is a good partner as well.
- Keep a big empty bowl on the table to toss the empty shells, and plenty of forks to get at the clams plus plenty of napkins.
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Wine Pairings
OregonWines.com suggests serving the following types of wine while enjoying Oregon Steamer Clams. Click on a wine type to search our database for matching wines.
| Chardonnay |
 Typically aged in oak, it is dry in flavor, with strong aromas, and has a golden hue. It is also used to produce Champagne and méthode Champenoise wines. |
| Pinot Gris |
 A light, aromatic, wine with flavors of apple, pear, apricot, and other fruits, and with yellow to pale straw hues. |
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