Steamed clams facts for kids
Steamed clams are a tasty seafood dish. It's made by cooking clams using steam. This gentle cooking method helps the clams stay tender and full of flavor.
In the United States, people often use small soft-shell clams for steaming. These are sometimes called steamers. You can find them along the East Coast and in New England. Other types of shellfish are also sometimes steamed in these areas.
Hard shell clams can also be steamed. These are sometimes known as quahogs. They come in different sizes. The smallest ones are called littlenecks. Medium-sized ones are topnecks. The larger ones are cherrystones. The very largest are simply called quahogs.
Clams for steaming are usually cooked while they are still alive. If you buy a hard shell clam, it should be closed tightly. After cooking, it should open up. Soft shell clams are a little bit open when they are alive. Very large clams, like those used for chowder, are usually not steamed.
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How to Prepare Steamed Clams
There are many ways to make steamed clams around the world!
- In China, steamed clams can be served with eggs.
- In Thailand, they might be cooked with lemongrass, ginger, or other herbs.
- In France, chefs often cook them with white wine, onion, garlic, shallots, and butter.
- Steamed clams are also popular in Japan, where large ones are called oosari.
A special way to prepare them is the New England clam bake. This is a traditional outdoor meal. Clams are layered with other foods like corn, lobster, mussels, crabs, potatoes, and onions. Seaweed separates the layers in a metal bucket. Everything is steamed over a fire outdoors. It's a fun, family-style meal, often enjoyed at a picnic.
How to Eat Steamed Clams
Before cooking, live clams are rinsed very carefully. This helps remove any sand or grit. Then, they are cooked in a large pot of water with salt. Sometimes, people add lemon juice, beer, garlic, shallots, parsley, or wine for extra flavor.
Steamed clams are usually served with the cooking broth. You also get a small bowl of melted butter. To eat a clam, you can dip it quickly into the broth. This helps wash off any remaining sand. Then, dip it into the melted butter and enjoy!
You can hold soft shell clams by their siphon, which is like a "neck." There's a thin, black skin covering this part. You can pull this skin off before eating the clam.
About Steamers (Soft-Shell Clams)
Many chefs love steamers! For example, Jacques Pépin said they are "one of the great treats of the season." They are easy to find and not too expensive in the summer, especially in the Northeast.
You can find steamers in shallow waters. They live from the Arctic Ocean all the way down to North Carolina. They have even been found in Florida and Europe. Anyone can dig them up if they know how! Steamers have also been moved to the West Coast. Now you can find them from San Francisco to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. They are often sold in tanks or shipped directly to people. Sometimes their shells might get cracked during shipping, but they are still delicious.
See also
In Spanish: Almejas al vapor para niños
