Cutting to the chase when it comes to clams

The hardshell clam can be found all along the Atlantic coast from Prince Edward Island to the Yucatan Peninsula.

In fish markets, they are generally sorted and sized for sale. They tend to be tougher as they grow larger, so each size has a particular use best for it.

The smallest size available commercially is called the top neck. Top necks are very tender and most often eaten raw or steamed.

Learning to open clams takes considerable practice. There are a few tricks that make it easier. Any remaining sand needs to be washed off the shells after you bring home your clams. Handling the clams when washing them makes them tighten their shells as if in reaction to a predator, which is what in this situation we are, so I guess we can't blame them. They literally "clam up".

After you wash the clams, spread them on a towel, at room temperature, on a flat surface for a few minutes and let them relax. They'll then be easier to open.

Clams have a distinct shape. Looking at them you will notice that as they extend from the hinge one side is longer than the other. The shorter side has a distinct rounded point. With as little disturbance as possible, place the long side of the clam against the palm of your non-dominant hand. With your other hand — which, by the way is holding a clam knife — place the blade of the knife against the point of the shell on the seam between the top and bottom. Wrap the fingers of your hand holding the clam around the back side of the clam knife blade and press the blade into the seam — hard. If you're lucky, the blade should slide into the clam.

Stop there. Don't push the blade any farther or you will cut the meat of the clam in half which is unattractive.

When making the first push don't force the knife with the hand holding it. If you slip, you may very well stab your other hand — and that looks even more unattractive. Next twist the blade to open the shell. When the shell opens, you can hold it that way with your clam-holding fingers while you run the blade along both the top and bottom shell to cut the abductor mussels. With that, the clam is now open.

If you don't succeed on your first attempt set the clam aside and go on to another because, by now, the little guy is wise to what you are up to and has clammed up again. They do, however, have very short memories so you can go back again later.

Nothing tastes more simple, briny and primaly delicious than a raw top neck, but they are problematic. The next best method of enjoying them is steaming. Wash them, put them in a heavy gauge stainless pot with a tight cover, a little water, some lemon and a little cracked pepper and steam them just until they open. Serve them with a little more lemon, a crunchy piece of warm French bread for mopping up, a cold glass of Sauvignon Blanc or un-oaked chardonnay and you have the simplest appetizer fit for a king.

Cut back on the water; add some olive oil and garlic to the cooking liquid, a handful of chopped Italian parsley at the end and serve it over pasta and the dish becomes clams linguini. I especially enjoy top necks this way with Italian white wine, Pinot Grigio, Gavi, Greco di Tufo, Vermentino or whatever your favorite Italian white might be. Italian whites are made to enhance the enjoyment of food cooked with olive oil and they do it well.

Little necks, the next size up the ladder, are equally good raw or cooked, They are also excellent for the classic dish called Clams Casino, but once again you are faced with the task of opening raw clams.

Casino butter is a simple mix of finely chopped red and green peppers, a little lemon juice and a few red pepper flakes blended with softened butter. Put a dab on each opened clam; top it with some fresh white bread crumbs and a small piece of half-cooked bacon. Put the clams into a 400-degree oven for about 10 minutes or until the clam is set up and medium hot and the bacon fully cooked. Serve them with lemon wedges and a hearty American Chardonnay. The bacon and butter in the clam will take care of the oak and creaminess of the Chard.

The next size clam up the clam ladder is the cherrystone. Cherrystones are best baked and stuffed. The prepared stuffed clams available in markets are often way too bready for my taste.

If you are going to stuff your own only make enough stuffing to fill one shell of each clam. Start by steaming the clams open. Let them cool, take out the meat and chop it either by hand or with a food processor.

Don't mash them. Sautee a little chopped onion with a little garlic, and some lemon in plenty of butter. Mix the clams, sautÃ©ed mix and fresh butter and then taste it. If it's too dry add more butter, too wet more crumbs, too bland more lemon, you get the idea. I'm sorry I can't give you a recipe — I've been making stuffed clams for decades, and I still just eyeball it.

Chopped parsley adds a bright fresh color and flavor and grated Parmesan will add saltiness and crust to the baked clams. Stuff the shells with the mix so they are slightly rounded and bake then in a 450-degree oven until they are browned on top and very hot in the middle, about 20 minutes. Serve them with lots of lemon, some Tabasco sauce and cold beer.

The largest size hardshell clam is called a chowder clam. That's what they are best for.

Enjoy.

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Jack Felber is a regular Times columnist. He and his wife, Marcia Felber, are proprietors of The Olympia Tea Room, a Wine Spectator-recognized harborside restaurant in Watch Hill, R.I.

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