Clamming in Humboldt Bay, Ca

In my earlier post, you could see the damage done by the clams…they got me good, and it was not pretty. However, I have dominated ever since.

Daniel Vought and I have limited out every time we go, but let me tell you it is no easy task. At King Salmon, the only clams we have caught are the” Horseneck / Gaper” or as Wikipedia claims, the “Tresus capax.” The only thing you eat on them is the  siphon and foot, but when tide is really low you can get some big ones. Here is Daniel’s art work with the “foot” of the horseneck.

Cleaning them is a chore, and not for the faint of heart…but a pair of gloves and sharp knives makes it go quick. The hardest thing is removing all the sand. Because they cannot close their shell all the way (hence Gaper), they are always sandy. We most rinse them 10-20-40-60 times….no joke.

To get the skin off the siphon, get a water boiling and put the siphon in for just a couple of seconds. Repeat until skin comes off, but be sure not to cook them. Light blanch at best.

For cooking options, I have made both Paleo Clam Chowder, and non-Paleo clam fritters. Both amazing dishes. I would also like to point out that Steven D. Gomes and I had a clam chowder cook off, and I put him to shame…his own children asked for more of mine…haha. In all fairness, Gomes beats me in every other cook off….