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How to "skin" soft shell clams for frying?

post #1 of 5
8/25/01 at 6:12am
Thread Starter 
I would like to know how to remove the black rubbery "tube" of skin from raw soft shell caolms (steamers) to prepare them for frying.

The skin is easily removed once they are steamed - it slips off. I have tried sharp knives of all shapes, and even razor blades, but the end product is a mess. Steamers do not have the somewhat solid body that hard shell clams do.

All chefs on Cape Cod I have asked are also puzzled; they universally buy their clams for frying pre-shucked and skinned. Soft shell clams in the shell are only used as steamers or steamed and then added to various dished - not for frying.
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post #2 of 5
8/25/01 at 7:04am
Hi there Capecodder!!!

Welcome to cheftalk.
It is a pesky operation to shuck softshell clams,After you purge them in saltwater with a little cornmeal for a few hours (in the fridge)because of there eating habits they should be clean by then,You can do one of two things.Blanch them and cool them and you can peel of the membrane on the siphon,then you can fry them and they will still be tender. Or you can freeze them,then open the shell,peel the siphon and shuck them,let them defrost in the fridge in a colander,pat dry then procced. I hope this helps.
cc
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post #3 of 5
8/26/01 at 5:52am
So then do you get polenta with the corn meal the clams have digested?
(couldn't help it)
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post #4 of 5
8/26/01 at 6:13am
Ha ha shroomgirl :)
Funny thing is that Capecodder told me that one time a friend of his purged the steamers in so much cornmeal that is was like have a steamer dumpling,only with the dumpling on the inside.
cc
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post #5 of 5
8/26/01 at 10:56am
Hmmm; maybe I'll try this with matzo meal and get knedlach inside. On second thought, not exactly kosher! :p
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