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Hello Everyone!
Those of us who are lucky enough to have the time and skills to be regular razor clam diggers are already aware of the current and enduring 'Bonanza on the Beach' in terms of our coastal clams. I've been around for over four  decades now, and there definitely isn't a time in my memory when there's ever been so many clams, and opportunities to dig them. Not only are we smack in the middle of a current run of sport digging days, (with more to follow), but I got the happy news on Monday that a commercial dig was also in the works and this morning the clams arrived at the fish shop! I just love it when a plan comes together... perfect timing for our Featured Fish selection! This week we're talking all about one of my hometown specialties - fresh local razor clams. Read on for *the* recipe, and plenty of info for not only buying them at our shop, but also how to dig your own.
In the case this week we've got lots of great fish! We started off with a beautiful batch of fresh halibut cheeks and I think there's still a few pounds available, as well as plenty of fresh fat halibut filet. For smaller white fish we have fresh Alaskan true cod, fresh Washington rock cod, fresh Oregon petrale sole and some fresh Canadian sablefish - we are all up and down our coast! Rumor has it we'll have a small amount of fresh ling cod for Friday, so that should please all of the cod fans. For salmon this week we're looking at our regular Alaskan sockeye, FAS ocean caught king salmon, and we were lucky enough to score 4 little spring kings from the Columbia River. For the weekend there should be some fresh wild Oregon ocean kings also. Salmon for all! Shellfish this week will be fresh local manila clams, fresh local mussels, and for oysters it will be: medium Pacifics from Olympia Oyster, petite Pacifics from the Henderson Inlet Community Shellfish Farm, Kumamotos from Taylor and Blue Pools from Hama Hama. Lots of goodies! Plenty of fresh cakes are in the works: crab, salmon and cod cakes. (And just FYI, I am working on a gluten free option for cakes so if you're interested in a slightly pricier, but GF crab cake please call in advance and we'll make it happen!) Smoked salmon is looking good and we just got a call that this week's batch of traditional smoked sockeye is ready to pick up, so that will be here tomorrow morning along with the rest of our smoked fish: cold smoked lox, candy nuggets and sweet basil smoked albacore. Scallops, prawns, calamari, salad shrimp, crab meat, and more! If we're not at the shop, we're clam digging... come see us! ~Kira
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I have a lot of fond memories of standing in the pounding, sideways rain  with my family, cold and miserable, trying to find and capture an elusive razor clam. For some reason we were always grinning like loons at the end of the dig, happy as pie with our stash of beautiful clams. We'd head home, do our best not to track too much sand into the house, and clean up to get ready for the feast! Pancakes with syrup and fried razor clams = best. breakfast. ever.
Now that I live in the big city I don't make it down to Westport nearly as often as I'd like and it's a real treat when a commercial dig occurs so that the clams simply come walking in my door... sand free! This week was one of those times and the clams arrived just this morning. Dug fresh from Willapa Bay, these razor clams have already been cleaned and butterflied by the experts in South Bend. Fresh, local, sustainable and deliciously healthy for you, razor clams have just about everything going for them. Read on for a simple recipe and some tips, including a short little video, for those of you who would like to dig and clean your own!
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There's probably more than one thing you can do with razor clams, (a pot of fancy chowder comes to mind!) but I would guess that some version of this recipe accounts for the vast majority of prepared razor clams. Once you've got a plate full of fried clams, you can get creative - we like to chop them and lay  the slices over the top of pasta or rice for a dinner, and for lunch there is nothing better than a clam sandwich - just tuck the fried clams in a roll with a little tartar sauce and a handful of lettuce and you've got yourself a Washingtonian prize.
ingredients
- 2-3 clams per adult serving
- 1 fresh egg
- 1 cup breadcrumbs (l like panko!)
- 2 T butter
- salt/pepper
Lay out two small plates and get a nice big fry pan out on the stove. Melt the butter over medium heat, and then turn the burner off - we want to cook these clams hot and fairly fast, but it takes a few minutes to fill up the pan so if you wait to
crank up the burner all of your clams will cook at about the same speed and you won't have to be flipping while you're still dipping! On one plate, beat the  egg to create an egg wash and on the other plate lay out the breadcrumbs. Dip each razor clam into the egg, then coat with the breadcrumbs, then add to the pan. We want to lay these clams out flat, with the neck and the digger parts open like a book so that they cook evenly. Once your pan is full of single-layer clams, sprinkle with salt and pepper and turn your burner up to medium high. After about two to three minutes they should start popping and be browned and ready to flip. Turn each clam over, give them another sprinkle of salt/pepper and cook for an additional two minutes. That's it! Serve with lemon or tartar sauce and enjoy!
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Digging your own razor clams can be SO much fun, but it can also be miserable. The best thing to do to ensure a good time is to check the weather - if the swell is up or there's some sort of low pressure oddity occurring it can be impossible to find clam holes. If you add a cold, rainy and windy day to unfavorable ocean conditions I'd really suggest also adding some whisky to that thermos of hot chocolate you need to bring - it might help numb the feeling of woe as you trudge your way around the beach searching for clams.
On a nice day though (and it's springtime!) clam digging is just the bees knees. Not only do you get to experience the thrill of the ocean and the pleasure of being at the beach, but you earn your own dinner in exchange for a little effort, which is a very fulfilling proposition. Here's what you need to be a clam digger:
- a license from Fish and Wildlife - buy online here
- if you want to park on the beach, you'll need a Discover Pass
- a clam gun or clam shovel (Olympia Supply or Southgate Ace Hardware)
- a bag to put your clams in - each person has to have their own bag or bucket as required by law
- the knowledge that the season is open where you want to dig - current dates/beaches can be found here
The very best thing to do is to go clam digging with a friend who already knows how to find and dig razor clams, but if you don't have one of these handy don't worry too much - just head to the beach with your license, shovel and bag and watch closely for what other people around you are doing. Need to know where to go? One of my favorite spots is the Grayland beach approach across from Grayland Grocery. (Grayland and Westport are listed as "Twin Harbors" on the Fish and Wildlife schedule.)
My dad is the best clam digger I know, and he recently let us hook up a GoPro camera to him while he dug a few clams. Here's an example of someone who really knows what they're doing! Thanks Dad!
Once you have your clams, here's another little video on how to clean them.
Every person is allowed up to 15 clams on each day the season is open. If you spend a little time on the beach and are relatively successful this can lead to a lot of clams in your life! Razor clams freeze well once their cleaned and butterflied, and if you've got a pressure cooker you can also put them up in jars for making chowder all year long. Either way, learning to dig clams is a fun and fulfilling thing to do when you live in our area. Clam on, clammers!
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"The proper use of science is not to conquer nature, but to live in it."
~Barry Commoner
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