CLAMS AND MUSSELS

THE REAL CHALLENGE WHEN PREPARING clams and mussels is getting rid of the grit. These two-shelled creatures are easy to cook: When they open, they are done. However, perfectly cooked clams and mussels can be made inedible by lingering sand. Straining their juices through cheesecloth after cooking will remove the grit, but it's a pain. Besides being messy, solids such as shallots and garlic are removed. Worse still, careful straining may not remove every trace of grit, especially bits that are still clinging to the clam or mussel meat.

After much trial and error in the test kitchen, we concluded that it is also impossible to remove all the sand from dirty clams or mussels before cooking. We tried various soaking regimens—such as soaking in cold water for two hours, soaking in water with flour, soaking in water with cornmeal, and scrubbing and rinsing in five changes of water. None of these techniques worked. Dirty clams and mussels must be rinsed and scrubbed before cooking, and any cooking liquid must be strained after cooking. Rinsing the cooked clams and mussels is a final guarantee that the grit will be removed, but flavor is washed away as well.

During the course of this testing, we noticed that some varieties of clams and mussels were extremely clean and free of grit. A quick scrub of the shell exterior and these bivalves were ready for the pot. Best of all, the cooking liquid could be served without straining. After talking to seafood experts around the country we came to this conclusion: If you want to minimize your kitchen work and ensure that your clams and mussels are free of grit, you must shop carefully.

Clams can be divided into two categories—hard-shell varieties (such as littlenecks and cherrystones) and soft-shell varieties (such as steamers and razor clams). Hard-shells grow along sandy beaches and bays; soft-shells in muddy tidal flats. A modest shift in location makes all the difference in the kitchen.

When harvested, hard-shells remain tightly closed. In our tests, we found the meat inside to be sand-free. The exterior should be scrubbed under cold running water to remove any caked-on mud, but otherwise these clams can be cooked without further worry about gritty broths.

Soft-shell clams gape when they are alive. We found that they almost always contain a lot of sand. While it's worthwhile to soak them in several batches of cold water to remove some of the sand, you can never get rid of it all. In the end, you must strain the cooking liquid. People often rinse clams once more at the table in individual bowls of broth.

We ultimately concluded that hard-shell clams (that is, littlenecks or cherrystones) are worth the extra money at the market. Gritty clams, no matter how cheap, are inedible. Buying either littlenecks or cherrystones ensures that the clams will be clean.

A similar distinction can be made with mussels based on how and where they are grown. Most mussels are now farmed either on ropes or along seabeds. (You may also see "wild" mussels at the market. These mussels are harvested the old-fashioned way—by dredging along the sea floor. In our tests, we found them to be extremely muddy and basically inedible.) Rope-cultured mussels can cost twice as much as wild or bottom-cultured mussels, but we found them to be free of grit in our testing. Since mussels are generally inexpensive (no more than a few dollars a pound), we think clean mussels are worth the extra money. Look for tags, usually attached to bags of mussels, that indicate how and where the mussels have been grown.

When shopping, look for tightly closed clams and mussels (avoid any that are gaping; these may be dying or dead). Clams need only be scrubbed. Mussels may need scrubbing as well as debearding. Simply grab onto the weedy protrusion and pull it out from between the shells and discard. Don't debeard mussels until you are ready to cook them, as debearding can cause the mussel to die. Mussels or clams kept in sealed plastic bags or under water will also die. Keep them in a bowl in the refrigerator and use them within a day or two for best results.

We tested the four most common cooking methods for clams and mussels: steaming in an aromatic broth (usually with some wine in it), steaming in a basket set over an aromatic broth, roasting in the oven, and sautéing in some oil on the stove. In our tests, we found that clams or mussels that were sautéed, roasted, or steamed over a broth tasted of pure shellfish, but they also tasted flat and one-dimensional. They cooked in their juices. In contrast, clams and mussels that were steamed in a flavorful broth picked up flavors from the liquid. They became more complex tasting and, in our opinion, better.

With steaming in broth as our preferred all-purpose cooking method, we started to test various amounts and types of liquids, including fish stock, water, wine, and beer. We found white wine to be the best choice, although beer worked nicely with the mussels and is given as an option on Mussels Steamed in Beer. The bright acidity of white wine balances the briny flavor of clams and mussels. Fish stock and water (even when seasoned with garlic, herbs, and spices) were dull by comparison. While it is possible to steam four pounds of bivalves in just half a cup of liquid (naturally, the pot must be tightly sealed), we like to have extra broth for soaking into bread or rice. We settled on using two cups of white wine to cook four pounds of clams or mussels.

We also made some refinements to the cooking broth. Garlic, shallots, and a bay leaf enrich the flavor of the shellfish. Simmering the broth for three minutes before adding the shellfish is sufficient time for these seasonings to flavor the wine broth. The all-purpose broth can be flavored in numerous ways, as the recipe variations in this chapter demonstrate.

As an aside, we also tested grilling clams and mussels, a method that has become popular in recent years. We also tested frying clams. Neither method can be considered all-purpose, but each has its advantages. Although delicious, fried clams are too much work for the average home cook. Using preshucked clams delivers mediocre results, and shucking clams yourself is an arduous task. Leave fried clams to restaurants.

Grilling is an interesting idea, especially for summer entertaining. Steaming is clearly the easiest and best way to cook clams and mussels, but because grilling is such a novelty and the results can be quite good, we decided to include a recipe in this chapter. If you are cooking outside and want to throw a few clams or mussels over the coals to serve as an appetizer, we think you will be pleased with the results. We found it is important not to move the shellfish around on the grill and to handle them carefully once they open. You want to preserve as much of the natural juice as possible, so when the clams or mussels open, transfer them with tongs to a platter, holding them steady so as not to tip out any of the liquid.