Nick Fisher
LATIN NAME
Palourdes: Ruditapes decussatus.
Sand-gapers: Mya arenaria.
Warty venus: Venus verrucosa.
Surf clams: Spisula solida.
Manila clams: Venerupis philippinarum.
Grey hardshell: Mercenaria mercenaria
ALSO KNOWN AS
Vongole; palourdes also called cross-cut carpet shell clams
SEASONALITY
Avoid in spring and summer when spawning and when water quality may not be as good
HABITAT
Muddy, sandy and sometimes gravelly lower shore, in sheltered bays and estuaries all around the British Isles
MCS RATING
Most not assessed; farmed manila clams 1
MORE RECIPES
Cockle and chard rarebit; Paella
SOURCING
Clams are a conundrum. Like squid and pilchards, they are largely ignored – at worst, sneered at – on their home turf. When they play away, however, i.e. when some stylish Euro-classy nation has adopted them and renamed them vongole, suddenly they’re special and cool. But have no doubt: the gorgeous vongole you eat with linguine in Venice most probably came from Bognor Regis or Poole Harbour.
Walk on to any mud flat around the south of England or west of Scotland at low tide and you’ll be walking over clams. Hidden under the mud, belied only by small, tell-tale holes, are millions of them (and cockles, which are, after all, just another type of clam). We harbour manila clams (pictured next), palourdes, sand-gapers, warty venus, surf clams and various other species under our mud. But you will probably only encounter grey hardshell or manila clams on a fish counter.
The majority of British clams are ‘hoovered’ or dredged from the sea bed. Although these methods are more selective and less damaging than scallop dredging, since the clams are taken from small sections of ground, usually in muddy harbours and estuaries, hand-raked or farmed clams are always a more sustainable choice – though harder to find in fishmongers.
Shop-bought clams don’t need to be purged of sand and grit; this will already have been done before sale. But any you’ve gathered yourself (see advice on gathering wild shellfish under Wild mussels) should be purged in the same way as cockles. Once purged, a good shake in a colander under a fast-running cold tap is generally all the cleaning they need.
The basic cooking techniques are the same as those for cockles and mussels. But first, I’d advise keeping your fresh, live clams safe in the fridge salad drawer, under a damp tea towel, while you make a decent fish stock (see Types of Stock). I love a spaghetti alle vongole, but clams do not give this dish its rich mamma mia flavour; stock does. Similarly, clam chowder owes its heft to salt pork and sweetcorn. Not that clams are without flavour, but it’s a subtle sea-sweet tang.
A panoply of spices and aromatics, coupled with creamy coconut milk, make for a sumptuous but very simple clam dish. You can do the same thing with cockles or mussels. Serves 2
1kg live clams
2 mild green or red chillies
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp virgin coconut oil
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 small onion, finely chopped
5cm piece of root ginger, grated
2 garlic cloves, crushed
About 20 fresh or 10 dried curry leaves (optional)
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp mild chilli powder
½ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp salt
100ml coconut milk
Scrub the clams well under cold running water. Discard any with broken shells and any that are open and do not close if tapped sharply against the side of the sink.
Halve the chillies and deseed for less heat if you prefer, then slice thinly. Roughly bash the fennel seeds, using a pestle and mortar.
Melt the coconut oil in a large pan (that has a lid) over a medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and fry for about 30 seconds until they start to pop. Add the onion, chillies, ginger, garlic and curry leaves, if using, and fry for 4–5 minutes.
Add the garam masala, pepper, chilli powder, turmeric, fennel seeds and salt and cook for another 2 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk and 100ml water and bring to a simmer.
Give it a good stir then add the clams, put the lid on and cook for 3–4 minutes, shaking the pan once or twice, or until all the clams have opened. Discard any that refuse to open.
Serve the clams, and all their fragrant juices, with naan bread.
