Jane Grigson's Fish Book - Jane Grigson [38]
CARPET-SHELLS see A FEW WORDS ABOUT… CARPET-SHELLS
CATFISH see A FEW WORDS ABOUT… CATFISH
CERO see MACKEREL
CHAR see TROUT
CLAMS
Venus mercenaria, Mercenaria mercenaria
Everybody knows that clams are American. It is true that in Scotland scallops are often known as clams, and that we use the phrase ‘as tight as a clam’ about secretive people, but clams really belong to our rosier knowledge of American life. There is clam chowder for a start (not in fact a Red Indian dish, but an adaptation of the name and recipe of a French fish stew, see below). We have probably heard rather enviously of New England clambakes, those summer feasts on the beach when the shellfish are steamed on a bed of seaweed over red hot stones, along with lobster, chicken, sausages and a variety of vegetables. If we remember pioneering tales, we can probably recollect that wampum, the Red Indian money, consisted of strings and belts of clam shells (hence the second word of the specific name, Venus mercenaria).
It is not generally known that the bubbling dishes of praires farcies grillées, served in Norman and Breton restaurants (see Huitres farcies grillées, p. 256), are clams, real American clams, of the kind known as quahaug, quahog or hard clams. Efforts were first made to introduce them into France in the second half of the nineteenth century. Now they are acclimatized all down the Atlantic coast of France. As one sops up the last garlicky juices, one does not spend much time regretting the American clams that are not acclimatized in Europe – the cherry stone, little neck and butter clams which are eaten raw like oysters; the long razor clams which come to the table fried as well as in chowders; the soft clams which rejoice in the local names of gaper, maninose, nannynose, old maid and strand-gaper. I am sure that none of them can equal the praires farcies – or at least surpass them.
Clams are among the easiest shellfish to grow commercially. It is true that they take four years, almost as long as an oyster; but they are more good-tempered, less of a risk. As demand increases, so will production. It does seem ridiculous to go to France to eat them, let alone America, when we could be enjoying them at Southend or Torquay or in our own kitchens. Like many other shellfish, clams are best in the summer months. We tend to be superstitious about eating them when the month lacks an R (as we once were about eating pork). It seems that this is a groundless form of masochistic self-denial. Apparently only the native oyster, not the Portuguese but Ostrea edulis, should be avoided in July and August, because, as one authority put it, the shells are ‘full of gritty little babies’.
HOW TO PREPARE CLAMS
Having found your clams, how are you going to open them? If they are fresh and alive, use the oyster method, see p. 254. A few moments in warm water makes it much easier to push a knife through the hinges.
Some cookery books suggest using the mussel method (a large pan, covered, over a moderate heat) or, for the large ones, the scallop method (a few moments in a fairly hot oven, gas 6, 200 °C/400 °F, until they begin to open). Clams which have been deep-frozen are the easiest of all. Put them in warm water to thaw, until the shells just begin to gape. Finish the job off with a knife, oyster fashion. Keep deep-frozen clams for cooking.
Once the black-tipped siphon has been removed, all of the clam meat can be eaten. The coral foot and pinkish-white muscles are firmer than the central body part: for some recipes, it is a good idea to chop these parts, while leaving the soft part whole. Most oyster, mussel and scallop recipes can be adapted to clams – especially the one for Huîtres farcies grillées. Oysters Rockefeller (p. 261) is also particularly suitable.
CLAMS AU NATUREL
Fresh clams can be eaten raw on the half-shell, like oysters. Lemon juice and cayenne pepper can be served with them, plus the usual wholemeal or rye bread and butter, and a white wine such as Muscadet.
In The Boston School Cookbook, Fanny