COOKINGWITHCAMPICHE
TrEaSuReS oF WiLlApA BaY
Steamed littleneck clam recipe
BY DAVID CAMPICHE
On a sunny blue bird day, on the east side of
Willapa Bay , the outstretched hand of the salty
murky water has retreated. We are left with
miles of fl ats.
These tide fl ats are not nearly as muddy as
their counterparts on the east side of the Long
Beach Peninsula. Indeed, much of the land-
scape appears sandy, but often covered with
green, lichen-like tendrils. They remind me of
an edible Japanese seaweed, Wakami.
Our purpose is to dig littleneck clams,
sometimes called the Manilla clam, a hard-
shelled clam of about 1.5 to 2 inches. The del-
icate bivalve has remained a crowd pleaser
from centuries before Old Man Espy and
J.A. Clark settled their claim and Oysterville
sprung into pioneer being.
The Chinook (Tsinuk) lived happily in
these parts. Their winter camps and lodges
spread the length of the peninsula, the Naselle
River estuary and punctuated the western edge
of Long Island. They were clam eaters. The
clams were placed inside their elegant reed
baskets, water-tight and embellished with
lovely, imbricated designs.
Once fi lled with salt water and clams, red-
hot stones were lowered into the baskets, and
as the water rose to a boil, the clams opened
their shells and the briny fl esh was summarily
stripped out, slip-sliding down the gullets of
these Indigenous people .
Decades later, my mission is to gather a
legal limit of 40 clams. My purpose, other
than soaking in this stunning landscape, is to
bring home and prepare one of the most cov-
eted prizes of all seafoods. There are infi nite
ways the small bivalves can be prepared. The
simplest is one of the tastiest, at least in my
humble opinion. I steam them open— all
40 — in a bath of wine and herbs. The broth
becomes a sweet nectar. The clams can be
eaten directly from their shells, or saved for
clam pasta, chowders or baked raw in a Span-
ish-style paella.
Steamed clam recipe
• 40 littleneck clams (washed and
scrubbed)
• 2 cups white wine
• Half-stick of melted butter
• Chopped garlic
• Cilantro
• Parsley
• Fresh lemon juice
Edward Curtis
A Native American woman digs for clams in
Willapa Bay in 1906.
David Campiche
Erosion has reshaped the shoreline on the east side of Willapa Bay.
• Hot sauce (optional)
Sauce Mignonette
• 1-1/2 tablespoons of minced shallots
• 1/2 cup of champagne vinegar
• ½ teaspoon of raw sugar
• ¼ teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of crushed white
peppercorns
• Fresh chopped tarragon
Directions
Add the washed and scrubbed clams to a
deep pot or a steam kettle. Pour in 2 cups of
white wine. Add a half-stick of melted but-
ter, chopped garlic, cilantro, parsley and a few
shakes of hot sauce (optional) with a squeeze
of lemon and then steam away. When the
shells open you are fi nished. Keep them ten-
der by not over boiling. They can be eaten in
their own broth or drained — saving the nec-
tar — and eaten with passion and fury. Clams
can be opened on a barbecue, like oysters. The
Japanese open the shells with a clam knife and
eat them raw. You may choose a French sauce
mignonette, the perfect accompaniment.
I think one of the best chowders is prepared
with these tasty morsels substituting for the
razor clam. But to each, his own. The point is
to enjoy. I also like to steam the clams open
with a fresh pesto base and champagne. Often,
I toss the bivalves with Soba noodles, add
steamed bok choy and ladle in a scoop of the
delectable nectar.
David Campiche
Little neck clams served on a bed of soba noodles.
ORIGINAL FINE ART
on the waterfront
port of ilwaco, wa
marie-powell.com
360-244-0800
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2021 // 7