How to fix whatever ails you

[haha]

Tonight I came home tired and cold and wet. It was nice when I went out but started a light rain and some wind before I got home this evening.

As luck wouild have it I had bought some steamer clams earlier this afternoon. Steamed them just until they popped open, with only water and olive oil and for me salt sub, but salt works too, and some green onions and those little hot dried chiles. Squeezed a half lemon on them, and ahh... But the main cure was the wonderful nectar.

As an aside, do you easterners still get a good cherrystone clam harvest on Long Island North Shore? At age 18 they were my introduction to raw seafood, and are they ever satisfying.

Ha

 

[73ss454]

Funny you should mention Long Island Clams. For many years we spent the summer weekends at a place called Watch Hill Fire Island on the south shore of LI. We would go over with our boat and spend the weekend with the kids. We would use our small raft and go out into the bay and clam for most of the day. Then we would get the BBQ going and put the clams on the grill. We would put a little of our secret sauce on them as they opened and would eat them like potato chips.

I would guess this is still being done as many or our friends still spend the weekends in the summer doing the same thing.

 

[haha]

Funny you should mention Long Island Clams. For many years we spent the summer weekends at a place called Watch Hill Fire Island on the south shore of LI. We would go over with our boat and spend the weekend with the kids. We would use our small raft and go out into the bay and clam for most of the day. Then we would get the BBQ going and put the clams on the grill. We would put a little of our secret sauce on them as they opened and would eat them like potato chips.

I would guess this is still being done as many or our friends still spend the weekends in the summer doing the same thing.

So good, and such a great family event!

 

[brewer12345]

Ha, what kind of steamer clams do you get on the left coast? Different from eastern steamers AKA belly clams? I presume we are not talking about geoducks.

Don't see any of that here in the heartland. Did find a Vietnamese place that had all kinds of seafood I had pretty much given up on after we left, including live blueclaws.

 

[TromboneAl]

I worked summers on a commercial clam boat on Great South Bay (south shore LI). Tough job, but every Friday we got a peck of the small clams. We'd usually eat them raw (that is, alive).

We would also take the boats over the sound to Conn, dig up polluted clams, then take them back to GSB and release them.

On the north shore, we would feel around with our feet in water up to our necks, then dig out the big clams for making chowder.

 

[braumeister]

we would feel around with our feet in water up to our necks, then dig out the big clams for making chowder.

I did that all through my youth, living just a few hundred yards from the beach in Brooklyn, NY. Tons of crabs too, that we snared with a long handled net and tossed in a basket.

The absolute best place for crabbing was around some old half-sunken barges, right under this sign:
NO SHELLFISH TO BE TAKEN FROM THESE WATERS
NYC DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

The way I look at it, those experiences have rendered me immune to most waterborne diseases.

 

[haha]

Ha, what kind of steamer clams do you get on the left coast? Different from eastern steamers AKA belly clams? I presume we are not talking about geoducks.

Don't see any of that here in the heartland. Did find a Vietnamese place that had all kinds of seafood I had pretty much given up on after we left, including live blueclaws.

Mostly Willapa Bay manila clams. They are pretty small, it takes quite a few to make a meal.

How To Cook Willapa Bay Steamer Clams | LIVESTRONG.COM

 

[haha]

I worked summers on a commercial clam boat on Great South Bay (south shore LI). Tough job, but every Friday we got a peck of the small clams. We'd usually eat them raw (that is, alive).

We would also take the boats over the sound to Conn, dig up polluted clams, then take them back to GSB and release them.
On the north shore, we would feel around with our feet in water up to our necks, then dig out the big clams for making chowder.

In reading about it, I think the ones we ate on Long Island were Little Necks. Extremely good. I have never seen local clams out here served raw, there is a sashimi clam called surf clam which is often sold raw but slightly pickled. I don't know if it is local or not. When I lived out on the Strait of Juan de Fuca we would dive for sea urchins and get the roe. At the time it was strictly country, but now as uni for saushi and sashimi each urchin sells for $5-$10, depending where you are. We would whack off the tops with a diving knife, and scoop out the eggs, spread on rye bread, add onion and take with vodka chilled in the deep freeze. Uwajimaya sells them whole for $5 or so I think I will fix myself and GF some. It is supposed to be sex food, and when I was 25 it seemed to work. My diving partner had 12 children, so it worked for him too.

Ha

 

[braumeister]

In reading about it, I think the ones we ate on Long Island were Little Necks.

All the clams eaten at clam bars in NY were (are?) either Little Necks or Cherrystones.

The Little Necks were about two inches across, and Cherrystones about three.
In my area, everyone went to Lundy's restaurant in Sheepshead Bay, where they had a clam bar at least 100 feet long, with usually at least six guys working the bar to open clams and serve beers. You ordered them by the dozen, and they were served a dozen to a plate on ice with a lemon wedge, bottle of Tabasco and horseradish. Makes my mouth water just to think about it.

 

[haha]

All the clams eaten at clam bars in NY were (are?) either Little Necks or Cherrystones.

The Little Necks were about two inches across, and Cherrystones about three.
In my area, everyone went to Lundy's restaurant in Sheepshead Bay, where they had a clam bar at least 100 feet long, with usually at least six guys working the bar to open clams and serve beers. You ordered them by the dozen, and they were served a dozen to a plate on ice with a lemon wedge, bottle of Tabasco and horseradish. Makes my mouth water just to think about it.

That's the way oysters are served here, with some grated horseradish. I would sure like some of those nice clams on the shell.

Ha

 

[grasshopper]

I was a Levittown baby, grew up on everything out of the N Sound. Grandparents had a home in Rocky Point. Graduated to Chesapeake Bay oysters in my adult beverage days. Now days I could go for a mudbug po boy.

 

[TromboneAl]

Fishing sure was good when I was a kid. Flounder and blowfish. No license no regulations.

 

[HFWR]

Fishing sure was good when I was a kid. Flounder and blowfish. No license no regulations.

Before Hootie, I presume...

 

[NW-Bound]

Fishing sure was good when I was a kid. Flounder and blowfish. No license no regulations.

A couple of years ago, driving up to Whistler from Vancouver, I saw a "No fishing" sign posted by the side of the highway, at a stretch that ran right near the coast. What was unusual was that right below the English phrase, the sign had translations in about 6 other foreign languages! I wanted to take a photo, but could not stop in time.

Darn! These poor foreign immigrants got there too late to partake in the "good ole fishing" of yesteryear.

 

[Free To Canoe]

I like the raw oysters but I have never tried the clams that way. Sounds pretty good.

 

[james7]

In reading about it, I think the ones we ate on Long Island were Little Necks. Extremely good. I have never seen local clams out here served raw, there is a sashimi clam called surf clam which is often sold raw but slightly pickled. I don't know if it is local or not. When I lived out on the Strait of Juan de Fuca we would dive for sea urchins and get the roe. At the time it was strictly country, but now as uni for saushi and sashimi each urchin sells for $5-$10, depending where you are. We would whack off the tops with a diving knife, and scoop out the eggs, spread on rye bread, add onion and take with vodka chilled in the deep freeze. Uwajimaya sells them whole for $5 or so I think I will fix myself and GF some. It is supposed to be sex food, and when I was 25 it seemed to work. My diving partner had 12 children, so it worked for him too.

Ha

When you are 25, anything works as sex food.

 

[Moscyn]

Just something visual of clams I ate recently- utterly delicious. Cooked in salt water.

 

[haha]

Just something visual of clams I ate recently- utterly delicious. Cooked in salt water.

Looks great!

 

[NW-Bound]

I have never had raw molluscs of any kind, and have no desire to try. However, I have enjoyed grilled oysters, steamed clams, etc... The above picture reminded me of Belgian Moules-Frites. My mouth is watering. Occasionally, Costco would carry some mussels. I need to make myself this dish soon.

About the "No Fishing" sign on Canada Hwy99 that I talked about earlier, I subsequently recalled that on the return trip driving from Whistler back to Vancouver, I was able to take a picture. It was an insignificant event, but when my memory fails me, it bothers me.

Took me a while to find it on the computer, as I remembered the date wrong (2008). And it was in only 5 languages, including English and French. So, was my memory good or bad?