What to know about steamers, Long Island's king of clams

You've truly become a Long Islander when you can take down a bowl of steamers. But these quirky looking clams are new to me. ... At Artie's in Island Park, they're listed as a simple one-word entry on the appetizer menu — "steamers" — as if that's all you need to know. 

It becomes a daunting situation a few minutes later, when a server drops off a white bowl of clams speckled with parsley. Nobody wants to look like a novice at a restaurant, especially when they've been living here awhile. So it takes some courage to ask him what to do with the crusty black appendages sticking out of each clam, which look rather ... risqué. 

The server says to grab the clam by this black nodule, dip it into the plastic cup of water on the side to wash away any remaining sand, and then dunk it into another cup of melted butter before eating the belly of the clam and discarding the neck part. (Later I learned that some people remove the skin around the neck and eat that, too.) But man oh man, this clam! It's plump, and sweet, and juicy, and so much more satisfying than your typical mollusk. 

Now I understand why people drive on the Southern State Parkway and fork out serious cash to live here. It's because of the steamers, the king of clams.

Here's a rookie's guide to fully enjoying steamers. 

What are steamers? And what is that neck thing? 

Multiple species of clams can be found in the waters around Long Island, and the steamer clam is actually part of the soft-shell clam variety, known as Mya arenaria. The shells are thinner, chalky white and gray and can often crack when handled. Owner Charles Manwaring, of Southold Fish Market, says the clams only live a couple years, and are harvested when they're about 2 to 3 inches in diameter. 

"The neck can expand and retract, and when the clam is stressed or touched, it will shoot out the water," he said, which inspired an unprintable nickname. They also go by longneck clams, belly clams and Ipswich clams. 

Steamers are a real hyper-local thing. We grew up eating big, beautiful Long Island steamers.

- Rustan Lundstrum, owner of The Sunset Club at Tappen Beach

"Steamers are a real hyper-local thing," says Rustan Lundstrum, owner of The Sunset Club at Tappen Beach in Sea Cliff. "We grew up eating big, beautiful Long Island steamers. That's part of the nostalgia of it, dipping it in the broth and the butter. As a kid, it's a do-it-yourself experience. There is something about being on a beach, and you're eating it with your hands on the water, that's uniquely American."

Where do steamers come from?

Steamer clams tend to reside in intertidal areas where the water rises and falls, where they can bury themselves deep in the sand or hide among rocky areas. Although they're associated with New England and the Eastern United States, steamers actually live up and down both coasts and have even been found in Western Europe, according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's website. But most of the steamer clams consumed on Long Island tend to be local, or from Massachusetts or Maine. 

"I try to get as many locals as I can, but the Maine ones are just as good." Manwaring said. "In the Peconic Bay there’s a bunch, the Shinnecock, the Great South Bay, Sag Harbor some spots, even out in Little Peconic. Some areas produce better than others. The south side guys, when the Mecox [Bay] is open in the winter, those guys kill it over there."

Clams can be harvested all year, but the highest volume months are May through September. Although the last couple of years have not been particularly great seasons, he said. 

How are steamers harvested? 

Anyone can hunt for steamer clams with a permit. But since the clams are buried a couple feet into the sand, getting them can be more physically demanding than typical clam digging. The process involves roaming the sandy areas during low tide and looking for little holes in the ground that signal a clam is lying beneath, using the space to breathe. The clammer rakes around the spot, a process known as "hacking," says Michael Mihale, co-owner of Point Lookout Clam Bar. Some people use another instrument called a clam gun, which is a long cylinder that sucks up the sand around the clam.

"When they’re freshly hacked, sometimes there’s not much sand in them at all. But most people let them soak in a little bit of water so they purge the sand out," he said. "A little fresh water or baking soda or salt. Everyone has their own little concoction to let them purge out." 

How are steamers prepared? 

Like the name suggests, steamer clams are not eaten raw. Because they're so tasty on their own, they're usually just steamed and served in a straightforward manner. 

Point Lookout Clam Bar steams the clams for 10 minutes until they open up, and then serves them with drawn butter ($22 for a pound and a third).

"You might go somewhere else and they saute them in garlic and oil. Over the years, our clientele got used to a fresh steamer and enjoying it the way it is without any other enhancements," Mihale said. 

Southold Fish Market serves them two ways. If the clams are smaller they'll save them for the retail market, or serve them with butter and dipping water on the side ($21). If the clams come in larger than 3 inches, they'll open them up, peel the necks off and deep fry them like New England's Ipswich style ($26).

One of Long Island's classic purveyors, Nicky's Clam Bar in Bay Shore, gets fancier and steams their clams with celery, garlic powder and caraway seeds, presenting them in a bed of shiny tinfoil. 

"It’s been a slower season for them, occasionally we’ll be out of them, and people get so mad at us," says manager Christina Thall. "In the summer, nine out of 10 tables have steamers on there. ... Everyone’s like, 'We travel all over the world, and you guys have the best steamers.' "