Fun, Family Culinary Adventures! Digging Razor Clams on the Oregon Coast
This Month’s Recipes: Easy Tartar Sauce l Easy Cocktail Sauce
Clams Anyone?? I was just contemplating what to share with you this month when I realized our family has taken its own culinary adventure these past years! We have been razor clamming on the Oregon coast and it’s truly an adventure for the entire family.
We started razor clamming as a family adventure, as it is something that is easy (and relatively inexpensive) to do. All family members 12 and older will need a Shellfish License from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW). Younger children can go without a license but are supposed to dig their own clams and carry their own bucket. Licenses can be purchased online.
Equipment you’ll need are a clam shovel, or a clam gun, a bucket or bag to hold your dug clams in, and some wet weather gear, as needed. We prefer the clam guns, as they are easy to use and can dig quickly in the sand.
Check the online tide tables for a good low tide. If you can get down below a -1.0 that’s the best, but even -0.5 works well too. We have found that razor clamming around Seaside, OR yields the best results, but we have found the clams south to Newport as well. There are some great stretches of low tides coming this summer, so keep a lookout.
You can certainly explore tons of videos on YouTube about how to recognize a clam “donut” or the mark the clams show on the beach, so that you know where to dig. There are many different strategies, but we basically head out to the beach about 1-2 hours prior to low tide. If the reflection of the sun on the sand is just right, it becomes easy to see the round markers the clams leave behind when burrowing into the sand. You can watch these videos and grasp not only how to recognize the marks left by the clams, but also how to approach digging with the shovel or clam gun.
The part I really want to get to though, of course, is the preparation and eating! One of our favorite ways to prepare clams is to quickly pan-fry them. You can use just flour and egg, cracker crumbs or (my favorite) panko crumbs for extra crunch. Once you get your oil hot (only about ½ inch in your skillet), the breaded clams will cook VERY quickly, only about 60 seconds per side. Cook in batches as to not cool down the oil too much and serve with a little tartar sauce or cocktail sauce (see recipes below). Enjoy immediately, while hot, crisp and delicious! This recipe is very close to our preparation: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/141051/panko-breaded-fried-razor-clams/
Others prefer to incorporate the clams into a ceviche, chowder, or other preparation. I have yet to attempt anything else but fried clams and chowder, but both are delicious options! The KEY to cooking clams, though, is to cook them quickly. Overcooking causes a very rubbery texture that isn’t pleasing.
Wishing you a freezer-full of clams and a wonderful spring!
Shana Larsen and the Chefs of Ready, Set, Eat!