SHELLFISH TIPS

Fresh shellfish should not be kept uncooked for much over a week.

Keep shellfish fresh by storing in an open container covered with a damp towel in a refrigerator or cool location.

Store oysters with the cup side on the bottom so that the oysters retain their juices.

When you dig soft-shell clams, bring a plastic bucket and fill with clean saltwater from the same area. After washing off the clams with cold water, leave the clams in the saltwater overnight, and they will clean themselves of inside sand and grit.

QUAHOGS ON THE GRILL

1) Clean littlenecks under water with a stiff brush.

2) Preheat grill on high setting.

3) Place littlenecks on grill.

4) Remove from grill with tongs when they pop
open, usually 3 to 5 mins. Discard any that do not open.

5) Eat as-is or with garlic butter, hot sauces, seafood sauce or anything else you like.

—Bruce Sandberg

CLAM FRITTERS

INGREDIENTS

• 36 “cherry stone” size quahogs or more — never too many!
• Reserve clam juice — set aside to settle out sand.
• Medium chop clams and set aside
• 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 3 tsp baking powder 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
• 1 Tbsp corn oil for batter
• Corn oil for frying

METHOD:

1) Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.

2) Mix egg and 1 Tbsp. of corn oil separately. Add this mixture to the flour mixture, stirring very gently while slowly adding the milk to form a heavy batter.

3) Add clam juice, less than 1 cup, (leaving the sand behind) slowly and carefully, mixing gently, until a proper batter consistency is achieved—think slightly thick pancake batter.

4) Add chopped clams and mix gently.

5) Heat cooking oil (2–3 inches deep) in small sauce pan to 350 degrees on a deep fry thermometer.

6) Very carefully drop batter by tablespoonfuls (6-8 per batch) into the hot oil and fry for 3 to 5 minutes,using fork to turn as they cook, until golden brown.

7) Remove fritters from oil, drain on paper towels, salt lightly, and keep in a barely warm oven.

8) Repeat with remaining fritter batter—yield is approximately 2 dozen.

Eat’em while they’re hot! Don’t forget to try maple syrup on some.

—Dayle Hoxie

THE OFFICIAL B.A.R.S. CLAM CHOWDER

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 lb. butter
• 7 medium Spanish onions (diced)
• 10 med. potatoes (cubed)
• 3 Bay leaves
• 2 qts. Quahog broth
• 2 qts. Quahog meat (chopped or minced)
• Salt& White Pepper (to taste)
• cream or 1/2 & 1/2 for consistency and or taste

METHOD:

1) Melt butter, add onions and cook til transparent.

2) Add Bay leaves and diced potatoes. Mix until well coated with butter and onions.

3) Add broth and bring to a boil. NEVER heat or boil chowder unless it's in a Double Boiler.

4) Cook until the potatoes are tender and remove from heat.

5) Add minced or chopped Quahogs and stir well. Salt and pepper and add cream to the consistency you want.

–Lenny Clark and Ed Dutton

ED’S STUFFERS

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 medium Spanish Onion
• 1 green pepper
• 1 red pepper
• 1 lb. Chorice or sausage (already chopped)
• 30-40 Quahogs shucked (Reserve liquid, let settle
and save the clear broth for later.)
• 1 can (24 oz) 4C bread crumbs
• 3 sticks of butter (3/4 lb.)

METHOD:

1) Chop or coarsely grind clams. (not fine)

2) Fine chop onion and peppers.

3) Saute in the butter with the sausage.

4) Add 1 T-spoon minced garlic, 1/4-cup horseradish, 2 cups broth and the chopped clams.

5) Simmer, occasionally stirring to blend for 10–12 minutes

6) Gradually add your stuffing mix for the desired consistency to put in the shells. Needless to say, the shells must be thoroughly cleaned before stuffing.

7) After stuffing, refrigerate until ready to serve. Warm in an oven or microwave. Serve with lemon wedges, catsup, cocktail sauce or whatever.

BAKED SCALLOPED OYSTERS

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 qts. shelled oysters
• box of saltine white crackers
• 1/2 lb. butter
• 1/2 cup cream
• liquid from oysters

METHOD:

1) Use a large glass baking dish: butter the bottom.

2) Break crackers into small pieces, cover bottom of dish.

3) Drain oysters and place 1/2 of oysters as a layer on top of crackers.

4) Cover oysters with another layer of crackers, and put 1/2 of butter (melted) on crackers.

5) Put second half of oysters as a layer on crackers, and cover with remaining crackers.

6) Put butter, cream and oyster liquid on top to moisten ingredients (add milk to moisten if necessary).

7) Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.

—Ed Dutton

ELSA'S MUSSELS (from article about founding member André Sampou in Edible Cape Cod)

This is Andre's wife's favorite recipe for mussels. Rich and classic, it uses a French technique for thickening sauces at the last minute by mixing flour and softened butter together to make a beurre manié. It's a great trick to have up your sleeve when you have a sauce that is too thin.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 5 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4 Tbsp onion, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 3-4 dozen mussels, debearded and scrubbed
• 1-1/2 cup white wine or dry white French Vermouth
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 4 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 egg yolks, lightly beaten

METHOD:

In a small bowl blend flour and 3 Tbsp butter together with a fork until smooth.
Melt remaining 2 Tbsp butter over medium high heat in a heavy-bottom sauté pan with lid that fits tightly. Add garlic, onion, and bay leaf and cook, stirring for a few minutes. Add white wine and bring to a boil.

Add mussels, cover and cook until shells open. Check after about 5 minutes. Remove mussels from liquid with slotted spoon and place in a bowl.
Bring liquid to a boil then take off heat. Quickly add the flour and butter mixture and put back on the heat; whisking constantly, bring mixture to a boil-it will thicken.

Cook for another minute or two to cook out the raw taste of the flour. Reduce heat to low. Add cream, mustard, and egg yolks. Heat to warm, stirring constantly. Don't bring back the boil, or the eggs might curdle!

Pour sauce over mussels.

-Elsa Sampou