Oregon clam linguine is simple to make, gourmet in its presentation and delicious to the taste.
written by Thor Erickson
photography by Tambi Lane
The brightness and hum of the fluorescent lights inside Bi-Mart was an awkwardly refreshing break from the dark and rainy weather of Lincoln City. I stopped in to pick up a shellfish license and a “clam shovel” (called a trenching shovel anywhere else in the world). One of the cashiers pointed me in the right direction. Under his red Bi-Mart vest, he wore a t-shirt that said “I Dig Clams” across the front. I knew I was in the right place.
The next morning at low tide, shovel and bucket in hand and boots on feet, I set out to Siletz Bay. After asking a few fellow clammers where to go, I ended up north of Schooner Creek where the purple varnish clams (named for the hue inside the shell) were said to be plentiful. I searched the wet sand for the telltale signs of clams: “dimples, doughnuts and keyholes” are what the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife call the breathing holes that clams create beneath the sand.
I found some dimples and began to dig. About 10 inches below the surface, my shovel made a clanking sound. I’d hit a clam. I dug it out with my hands— it was the purple varnish that I’d been looking for. I dug on, my mind flooded with memories of my dad’s favorite dish—clam linguine—until I hit my twenty-clam limit.
Upon returning home, I purged the clams, repeatedly rinsing them with salted water to flush them of sand, which is not delicious at all.
That evening I had just enough clams for my dinner, but I felt as if I was with my dad. Want to make this dish for a group of friends? Take them clamming with you, and you’ll have plenty for a party. Here’s my recipe.
SERVES 4
Ingredients:
Instructions:
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