Butter Clams and how to use them
My fellow clam diggers: Many of you have expressed interest in butter clams. The information in the attached PDF file answers many of your questions. A limit of Butter clams will satisfy the requirements of most recipes. The most productive digging occurs in Coos Bay and Netarts Bay. 
Butter clams (Saxidomus giganteus) are relatively scarce in some of Oregon’s bays but are common in Coos Bay, Netarts Bay and Tillamook Bay. Butter clams are also known as Martha Washington, Quahog and Coney Island clam or because of the color of its flesh beefsteak clams.
Butter clam beds are exposed during a minus tide. An oblong or an irregular shaped show often compared to the tip of a slotted screw driver 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch long reveals the butter clam 6 to 12 inches beneath the sand, sandy mud gravel or gravelly substrate in the tidal flats and adjacent to rocky areas and riprap sea walls. Butter clams are often stained black from iron sulfates To dig butter clams insert a bamboo stick into the show and gently tap once forcing the clam to retract its neck into the shell. Using a floral or razor clam shovel, carefully dig a hole next to the clam to avoid breaking its shell peeling away the sand exposing the clam. In areas where butter clam shows are numerous continue enlarging the original hole using a shovel and a cockle rake to reveal additional clams. Serve the smaller butter clams as steamer clams and the larger ones in prepared clam dishes. Butter clams are excellent when served fried whole or as clam strips, but clam chowder, clam fettuccine or clam casino made from butter clams is exceptional.
Clams Casino with Butter Clams
Traditional recipes call for broiling the clams with herb butter consisting of blending a roasted seeded red pepper, green bell pepper, 2 cloves of minced garlic, the juice of a lemon and a chopped sprig of Italian parsley. Fold the blended mixture into 1 pound of room temperature unsalted butter. Salt to taste and refrigerate. Cover the clams with a tablespoon of the herb butter and a one inch square piece of the raw bacon. Broil at 425 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.
Clams Casino is a dish that is only limited by you imagination that can be served with a variety of ingredients. You’ll need a limit (20 clams) of butter clams, a pound of thin sliced Bacon, a pound of your cheese of choice, a small can of whole green chilies and, a bunch of fresh green cilantro and some freshly prepared salsa.
I prefer the mild flavor of Monterey Jack Cheese. Buy a 2 pound brick of cheese to ensure that there is ample cheese available. The amount of the ingredients used depends on the size of the clams. Fry the bacon and break it into small pieces.
Grate one half of the Cheese and set aside. Open the small can of green chilies.
Rinse and pat the chilies dry. Chop the green chilies into medium pieces and set aside. Medium chop 1/3 of a cup the leafy portion of the fresh green cilantro and set aside.
Clean the butter clams by scrubbing the clams with a stiff bristle brush. Rinse the clams in cold running water. Split the clam in half using a large knife.
Set the clam on a cutting board hinge side down. Center the knife lengthwise in the small gap between the clam’s shells. Press down with just enough force to cut through the clam cutting through the abductor muscles. Open the clam shell. If necessary finish splitting the neck using a pair of scissors.
Remove the dark gut flesh from each half of the clam’s body with the point of a knife. Scoop the clam from the shell using a table spoon. Return each half of the clam to the clam’s shell and arrange them on a bed of rock salt in a baking dish. Fill the clam shells with the grated cheese, bits of the fried bacon and chopped green chilies.
Sprinkle the chopped cilantro over the cheese, bacon bits and chilies. Set the oven to broil and preheat to 425 degrees.
Place the baking dish with the butter clams under the broiler element. Broil until the cheese has thoroughly melted and begins to turn golden brown usually in 10 to 12 minutes. Top with fresh salsa and serve as appetizers.
Brandon, the ClamSlayer, Williams’s recipe for Clams Casino focuses on melding the flavor of butter clams with bacon and sharp cheddar cheese. Brandon shares his recipe for Clams Casino… cut butter clams in half (sever adductor near neck, then with additional gap sever adductor near foot), open and twist to separate shells, then remove stomach and gut (you can rinse, but to make sure there’s no grit just remove the body in the center. Rinse well then use a spoon to remove body from the half shell, then replace (this makes it easy to scoop out when you’re eating them later). Add a couple drops of your favorite hot sauce, then a 1″ long strip of regular thin bacon and top with shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Bake at 500 for 10 minutes or until bacon and clam curls up and cheese is toasted well.
Enjoy!
