Cooking clams at home?

[vitauta]

i'm getting ready to clean and debeard a couple lbs. of mussels. it is my first time. i came across a helpful cleaning hint online that has me even further confused: one commenter says, 'add some cornmeal to the water of the first soaking'. WTH? this is the first i'm hearing about a second (or third?) soaking for shellfish. and them beards and barnicles are pretty scary looking too....

 

[GotGarlic]

Those inexpensive mahogany clams are back in the grocery flyer!

I am still a little nervous about giving them a try and I have a couple of questions.

First how far in advance can I buy them and keep them in the refrigerator.

Second on this purging business, will it work if I put them in a Pyrex 9x13 baking pan with some salt water and a damp dish towel tossed over them or do they need to be in a deeper container, similar to the ocean.

You can buy them one day in advance; keep them on ice in the fridge.

Ask at the seafood counter whether they need purging; it's often already done. If you need to do it, I'd use a mixing bowl. They should be completely submerged. No need to cover them. Let them sit for about 30 minutes and they will be ready to cook.

 

[Aunt Bea]

At least the clams are clean shaven!

Everything I have read talks about one soaking, some say a sprinkling of corn meal some don't.

Good luck, make sure you give us a full report!

 

[Aunt Bea]

You can buy them one day in advance; keep them on ice in the fridge.

Ask at the seafood counter whether they need purging; it's often already done. If you need to do it, I'd use a mixing bowl. They should be completely submerged. No need to cover them. Let them sit for about 30 minutes and they will be ready to cook.

Last year when I quizzed the fish monger he said the inexpensive clams, 50/$5.99, were as dug and could contain a quantity of grit and or mud. He said the expensive clams, 12/$4.99, were purged and ready to go. I'm so cheap that I just have to give the inexpensive clams a try, we'll see next weekend!

I'll start rummaging around in the cupboard for a suitable vomitorium to put them in!

 

[Addie]

Last year when I quizzed the fish monger he said the inexpensive clams, 50/$5.99, were as dug and could contain a quantity of grit and or mud. He said the expensive clams, 12/$4.99, were purged and ready to go. I'm so cheap that I just have to give the inexpensive clams a try, we'll see next weekend!

I'll start rummaging around in the cupboard for a suitable vomitorium to put them in!

Make sure when you purge them the water is very SALTY! Otherwise they will drown. I use sea salt.

 

[Addie]

At least the clams are clean shaven!

Everything I have read talks about one soaking, some say a sprinkling of corn meal some don't.

Good luck, make sure you give us a full report!

And some say oatmeal.

 

[Addie]

There are so many ways and myths floating about regarding purging clams, mussels, etc. Some swear by cornmeal, others use oatmeal and some use nothing. Common sense will tell you what to do.

Does cornmeal or oatmeal grow in the ocean? Of course not.

A simple soaking in very salty water for about 30 minutes is fine. Clams live burrowed in the sand. Mussels cling (hence the beard) to rocks and eat what is floating by. They don't get as sandy as clams. But if you want, a short soaking in salty water for a short time is fine. It certainly won't hurt them.

You never want to soak any seafood in fresh water. Crazy as it may sound, they will drown and die on you. They cannot breath in fresh water. And your fresh water from the tap has chlorine in it. A chemical that is not conducive to happy living for small live sea animals.

If you are going to use wine or some other alcohol product in you final dish, make sure you cook off the alcohol before you add the seafood to the dish. Alcohol often has a way of making the little critters become tough.

When you are removing the meat from the shells, do so over a clean bowl so you can catch every drop of liquor. Before you add that delicious juice to your final dish, strain it through a really fine mesh strainer with a cheesecloth placed inside. It will catch the last bit of sand. Place the meat from the shells in that liquor also so you can give them a final rinse.

The water that you steamed the clams or mussels in also has great flavor. Do no waste it. That too should be strained before adding it to your final recipe.

When you buy seashells by the bag, there should be a tag on it stating where and when they were dug. Save this tag in the event all of them were dead by the time you got them home or you became sick. The information will be very helpful to the authorities.

Make sure you only make your purchases from a reputable vendor. If you see someone selling the at the side of the road from the back of his truck, I can almost guarantee that person is a poacher and does not have a license for clam digging. And more than likely, the clams are not sitting on a bed of ice.

Here hoping you enjoy your meal of seafood and are happy as a clam.

 

[vitauta]

so i said to myself, 'why wait till dinnertime? i'll cook my mussels for lunch. who's to object? nobody, that's right!' as it turned out, the cleaning tweren't much work, took only about 10 minutes in all. the mussels were remarkably clean. maybe cos they were farm-raised in canada...anyhow, very few of them were barnacle-encrusted, and not many had beards, either. the ones that did though, were mightly reluctant to part with them, putting up quite a fight, the little stinkers!
oh man, i steamed them mussels in a garlicky (red, not white) wine sauce--ooh that liquor! the mussels, such sweet tender morsels, bathed in the wine sauce w/tomatoes and shallots--heavenly! i had crusty french rolls (alexi's--verrry nice) to dip into the broth--what a mouthfest of a meal. i had to stop eating after about two dozen, but there are enough mussels left over so that i can do this again tomorrow, yum....

 

[Addie]

Sounds like you had a great success. See, shellfish are so easy to do. Me. I am making myself a potato salad. Have been hankering for about a week for one. Just four potatoes this time. Don't want to become a about it.

 

[CraigC]

This is an outstanding way to steam mussels. Karen does not like licorice flavored liquors, but love's these mussels. Need lots of crusty bread for sopping.

Carrabbas Mussels Cozze Bianco Recipe - Food.com

 

[Mad Cook]

At least the clams are clean shaven!

Everything I have read talks about one soaking, some say a * of corn meal some don't.

Good luck, make sure you give us a full report!

* here they recommend flour - presumably because corn meal isn't a store cupboard regular here

 

[Mad Cook]

There are so many ways and myths floating about regarding purging clams, mussels, etc. Some swear by cornmeal, others use oatmeal and some use nothing. Common sense will tell you what to do.

Does cornmeal or oatmeal grow in the ocean? Of course not.

A simple soaking in very salty water for about 30 minutes is fine. Clams live burrowed in the sand. Mussels cling (hence the beard) to rocks and eat what is floating by. They don't get as sandy as clams. But if you want, a short soaking in salty water for a short time is fine. It certainly won't hurt them.

You never want to soak any seafood in fresh water. Crazy as it may sound, they will drown and die on you. They cannot breath in fresh water. And your fresh water from the tap has chlorine in it. A chemical that is not conducive to happy living for small live sea animals.

If you are going to use wine or some other alcohol product in you final dish, make sure you cook off the alcohol before you add the seafood to the dish. Alcohol often has a way of making the little critters become tough.

When you are removing the meat from the shells, do so over a clean bowl so you can catch every drop of liquor. Before you add that delicious juice to your final dish, strain it through a really fine mesh strainer with a cheesecloth placed inside. It will catch the last bit of sand. Place the meat from the shells in that liquor also so you can give them a final rinse.

The water that you steamed the clams or mussels in also has great flavor. Do no waste it. That too should be strained before adding it to your final recipe.

When you buy seashells by the bag, there should be a tag on it stating where and when they were dug. Save this tag in the event all of them were dead by the time you got them home or you became sick. The information will be very helpful to the authorities.

Make sure you only make your purchases from a reputable vendor. If you see someone selling the at the side of the road from the back of his truck, I can almost guarantee that person is a poacher and does not have a license for clam digging. And more than likely, the clams are not sitting on a bed of ice.

Here hoping you enjoy your meal of seafood and are happy as a clam.

Thanks for that, Addie. I've saved it to my food file.

I've only bought "live" mussels once and they weren't! Two big bags full and only 2 live mussels! Supposedly reputable fishmonger, pre-ordered mussels, used the same day but still dead. I tend to buy frozen ones now for paella. Not as good but better if you see what I mean.

 

[Mad Cook]

This is an outstanding way to steam mussels. Karen does not like licorice flavored liquors, but love's these mussels. Need lots of crusty bread for sopping.

Carrabbas Mussels Cozze Bianco Recipe - Food.com

Sounds good however, don't worry about Karen not liking licorice as Pernod is aniseed. Not the same thing at all.

 

[CraigC]

I think water movement is probably the key to purging clams. Not much to filter feed during a slack tide.

 

[CraigC]

Sounds good however, don't worry about Karen not liking licorice as Pernod is aniseed. Not the same thing at all.

I said licorice flavored and anise has that same flavor. Fennel has a licorice flavor. Some say basil has a slight licorice flavor.

 

[Addie]

Thanks for that, Addie. I've saved it to my food file.

I've only bought "live" mussels once and they weren't! Two big bags full and only 2 live mussels! Supposedly reputable fishmonger, pre-ordered mussels, used the same day but still dead. I tend to buy frozen ones now for paella. Not as good but better if you see what I mean.

I have lived real close to the ocean all my life. As a kid we always brought our pail with us as it was war time and meat was rationed. There we no laws then so we could dig to our hearts content. So while we were having fun in the sun, we were always digging for clams to bring home for supper. After a Nor'easter, all the kids would rush to the beach and pick up all the lobsters that got washed up on shore. Today, I can't stand lobster. Had more than my fill. And then on top of all that, I ended up marrying two fishermen.

Glad to be of help.

 

[vitauta]

addie, following internet instructions, i cleansed my mussels in cold tap water. it was for scarcely a half hour, though, and i only had four mussels (out of about 5 dozen) that failed to open when i steamed them.

 

[Addie]

addie, following internet instructions, i cleansed my mussels in cold tap water. it was for scarcely a half hour, though, and i only had four mussels (out of about 5 dozen) that failed to open when i steamed them.

Shellfish can not breath in fresh water. So they end up drowning. Plus there is chlorine in fresh water that they can not tolerate. Always soak in heavily salt water. Make it close to the salinity of the sea. Had you use the salt water more would probably have survived.

If your shellfish are open when you get them, tap them lightly. They should close. They are alive. If they fail to respond, alas, more than likely they have gone to Davy Jones's locker.

 

[Addie]

I can't say this strongly enough. Shellfish need to be soaked in heavily salted water.Shellfish cannot breath in fresh water. And yes they do breath. Those bubble you see coming up through the sand are the shellfish breathing. That is how clammers find the clams and other shellfish. Once you get them home, scrub their shells good. For mussels, remove their beard. The beard is what they use to cling to rocks and other items with. Place them on a very wet towel in a drawer in the fridge if you are not going to use them immediately. Make sure you do use them the next day.

I don't care what the Internet says or any professional chef that grew up on a corn farm in Iowa. You can put cornmeal or oatmeal in the water if you want to. Personally I fail to see the need for it. But you can't soak them in fresh water. If the water is salty enough, they will purge themselves anyway. It is in their nature to do so.

I use sea salt. I know it is a more expensive product than table salt. Not everyone can afford it. I try to emulate their natural habitat. With summer just around the corner, we will all be looking at more shellfish.

In the event you hear about the dreaded "Red Tide," take heed. Local news station are pretty good about reporting it. Most stores will stop selling shellfish. If they don't ask the vendor where were they caught. Or check the tag yourself. Here on the East Coast, Red Tide usually starts up north and works it way down south. So when I hear that it has struck the Maine coastline, I know it is coming our way. If I am going shopping, I take note and pay close attention to what I am purchasing. I read the tag.

Red tide - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It kills shellfish and can make a human very, very ill if they choose to swim in it.

I am no expert. I am just very knowledgeable regarding this subject. Since I was born, I have lived by the sea and lived on sea food all my life. I learned at the knees of local fishermen and clammers. I brought home hundreds of clams and mussels as a kid during the war. I watched my mother go over them one by one. Tapping each open one. Some were tossed, but as time went on, more were edible. I learned to tap the open ones at the beach so I wouldn't be bring home dead ones. I learned to cover the clams with salt water while I was digging for more. They would start their purging then. You could see the bubbles in the pail.

 

[Mad Cook]

I said licorice flavored and anise has that same flavor. Fennel has a licorice flavor. Some say basil has a slight licorice flavor.

In that case "some" have seriously disturbed taste buds. Ditto the people who think fennel tastes of liquorice.

Liquorice and anise are NOT the same flavour at all neither are they related in botanical terms. I like one and not the other.