Unlike other types of farmed seafood, farmed clams don’t require antibiotics or additional feed. They’re farmed in beds on the sea floor. Baby clam ‘spats’ are seeded and covered with nets to protect them from predators while they grow. They constantly filter the water for food, and this improves the water quality near clam beds. Too much pollution can make them unsafe, so the water around them is closely monitored. Any sign of red tide or contaminants and the farm is closed.
Pine Island is home to some of the largest clam farms in Florida. You can buy them directly from the fish houses, or you can ask for them at your local seafood market.
If you have a bad day of fishing, grab a bag of clams and make this.
Pine Island Clams and Linguini
Ingredients:
- fresh linguini
- 50 fresh clams
- 1 handful cornmeal
- 2 tablespoons kosher sea salt
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup white wine
- red pepper flakes, to taste (1/8- 1/2 teaspoon)
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 handful fresh herbs, minced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- lemon slices
Directions:
Make a bath for the fresh clams by filling a bucket or large bowl with cool water and add the cornmeal and kosher sea salt. Submerge the clams. Allow them to sit for 30 minutes or so. Use a brush to scrub the outside of each one and rinse off any cornmeal or salt.
Cook the pasta al dente, or according to package directions. Rinse it briefly and splash it with a bit of olive oil. Toss and set aside.
In a large pot with a tight-fitting lid, sauté the garlic and red pepper flakes on medium low. Kick up the heat to medium high. Add the clams and wine. Cover and cook 8-10 minutes, or until all the clams are open (you may have a few that don’t open at all; throw those out).
Toss the clams with the linguini, black pepper, herbs and butter. Serve with freshly grated parmesan and lemon slices.
Always good to know when “farmed” isn’t a bad word!
Does the cornmeal simply work as a good edible scrubber, or serve some other purpose?
The cornmeal is a trick I learned from my mother-in-law. The clams filter it and it gets the last bit of grit out of them. Yes, an edible scrubber of sorts.
Hi Danielle– The clams sound delicious. I once went to a talk on the local cambodians use of seafood. they regularly dug clams to eat. I asked if they had a home depuration method, like the yankees using cornmeal. She said yes, they soak them in fish sauce and chili flakes. Most clams here go to a depuration plant where they sit in aerated chlorinated water for two days before being shipped to market. so happy to get a mention in the blog!
Thanks, Jane! These clams are good, but Gloucester steamers are the best. Should we experiment with the fish sauce and chili flakes when you’re here?
Yes!
Oh boy! you’ve whetted my appetite!
I did not know about the cornmeal.
I love your site!
Thanks, Cheryl! Glad you found it!
We’ll have to get together for these soon. It makes a lot!