Brackish Water Clams

One of the little-known secrets of our part of the Bay is the Brackish Water Clam. A glance at the Maryland DNR website will tell you that they don't survive water temperatures below 32 degrees. Don't believe it. I discoverd that we had a large populaton of these clams around our dock last year while watching seagulls. Then, I blogged about how they would dive in the shallows for the clams, then fly up to drop them repeatedly on the dock until they broke open enough to eat. I decided to try catching some myself last year, and found them to be delicious. After some research, I found that they were eaten by native americans, and are considered delicacies in some parts of the world. They're filter feeders, so obviously should be cooked throughly. They're less salty with a smoother consistency than their better known littleneck clam cousins. I prefer to collect them when the water is coldest and cleanest. Today, Jacob and I put on the hip-waders and dug up a few dozen for dinner. Sprinkled with Old Bay and steamed, then dipped in drawn butter and chased with a cold Yuengling, it doesn't get much better. -S