CLAMMING SEEMED like a dicey proposition to me as a kid. I remember watching my dad wade out to his neck looking for quahogs. This was on Cape Cod, near the Eel River. Eels had the run of the place, I was told.

To get the quahogs, you had to feel along the bottom with your feet. This was the sort of goopy bottom that us kids desperately tried to avoid touching at all. But I discovered early on that I loved the taste—the whole ritual—of eating what we simply called steamers. 

Littleneck clams around Puget Sound are more forgiving. With short siphons, they’re usually found in the top few inches of substrate and often higher up in the intertidal zone, no swimming required. 

Steamed Clams in Wine and Chorizo

1 onion, diced
1 yellow pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pound chorizo
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp salt
2 (or more) tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup vermouth
2 heaping tbsp fresh chopped cilantro
2 lbs live littlenecks, scrubbed

In a deep casserole or pot, sauté the onion, garlic, yellow pepper, and cumin seeds in olive oil until the veggies are soft, then add the chorizo and cook until lightly browned. Next add the wine and vermouth and bring to a boil. Add the clams and cover. When the clams have opened, stir in the cilantro and serve with good bread.