When traveling, make sure the clams are in a bag with some sort of ventilation instead of a completely airtight bag. Avoid any that have cracked or chipped shells. Look for clams that are tightly closed and free of any foul smells. The meat is tough and chewy and benefits from being chopped up and cooked for a long time. Topneck Clams-2 1/2' to 3' wide, typically eaten raw on the half shell, grilled open.Ĭherrystone Clams-About 3' wide, these are best for making stuffed and baked clams, like clams casino.Ĭhowder Clams-4' to 6' wide, these are far too big to eat raw and best used as their name implies: for chowder. Middleneck Clams-2 'to 2 1/2' wide, this variety falls right in between top and littlenecks and lends itself well to being steamed, grilled, or eaten raw. Littleneck Clams-1 1/2' to 2' wide, littleneck clams are small, tender, and best steamed open in a flavorful broth or eaten raw on the half shell. This how-to will focus on the more common and readily available hardshell clams. Littleneck, middleneck, topneck, cherrystone, and chowder clams are considered hardshell clams because they have a shell that's much thicker and more durable than the thin, brittle shells of softshell (steamers, razor clams, and geoduck) clams. Members of the clam family manifest their differences in size and shell hardness.

Here’s everything you need to know about how to clean them, cook them, and enjoy them. Clams are often thought of as the poor man’s oyster, but we think it’s high time to move the clam to the top of our “favorite shellfish” list.

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