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| William Lackner, photographed by the OCT's Emily Leiper, on the sand at Siletz Bay. |
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The varnish truth:
Clamming is great at Siletz Bay!
[Posted May 14, 2008]
By Niki Price
Oregon Coast Today
If you attend William Lackner’s “Coastal Encounters” lecture at Lincoln City’s Driftwood Public Library on May 20, be forewarned. What you learn about digging purple varnish clams could change your life.
One clam-digging convert, a man who met Lackner during the 2006 Coastal Encounters series, decided he had to get closer to the purple varnish action on Siletz Bay. So he bought a house in the Historic Taft district, on the bay’s north end.
“That way, he could spend more time down there, digging clams. That, in my mind, was amazing,” said Lackner. “And I see him down there, all the time.”
Relocation is not required, however. All you need is an Oregon Shellfish license, a shovel, a container, and just a little direction. That’s where the Coastal Encounters series comes in. Organized by library staff and sponsored by the Friends of the Driftwood Public Library, these lectures are designed to introduce people to outdoor pursuits and activities found only at the beach.
Each Tuesday discussion is followed by a Wednesday field trip. On Wednesday, May 21, Lackner will lead a purple varnish clam dig – the quickest, easiest introduction to clamming he’s ever found. He likes to start beginners on this species, he said, because it lives in the sandy substrate, far above the muddy home of native clams like the gaper or the Martha Washington. That way, first-time diggers aren’t covered in mud before they feel their first success.
What’s more, they don’t have to wait for a minus tide. Productive purple varnish clam beds are found higher in the tidal zone than other bay clams. They’re exposed during any low tide that is +3 feet or less, a fairly common occurrence. Plus, they’re plentiful, with large populations found in areas like Sand Lake and Netarts; they also survive in bays that are too sandy for many other clams, like the silty Siletz.
Lackner has tried every clam variety and dig method there is, in every location he can find on Oregon’s coast. The Newport clammer and author of two books on the subject, “Oregon’s Razor Clams” and “Oregon’s Bay Clams,” he conducts clinics, workshops and field trips throughout the year. He discovered the joys of purple varnish clams about 10 years ago.
“They’re so easy to dig and they’re easy to clean. And they’re delicious when they’re fried,” he said. “They’re a wonderful way to introduce people to our bay clams. Then you can graduate to cockles, razor clams, whatever you like.”
A relative newcomer
If the purple varnish clam is so easy to find and tasty on the plate, you may be wondering, why isn’t it better known? Why isn’t it as commonly pursued as the razor clam, for example, or the little neck?
One answer: It’s the new kid on the block. The purple varnish clam, Nuttallia obsurata, is an Asian species that researchers believe was released with ship’s ballast near Vancouver, B.C., in the late 1980s. Clam diggers and shell hunters first reported sightings near Vancouver in 1991, and in Washington State around 1993. In 2001, Oregon Department of Fish and Game officer John Johnson told The Oregonian that the clam could probably be found in every coastal estuary in Oregon. It’s been collected as far south as Coos Bay.
Right now, it’s called by a number of names, including varnish clam, purple mahogany clam and dark mahogany clam; in some places in Washington, it is sold as the savory clam. The “varnish” moniker may win out, because it’s most descriptive. The brown coating of the shell, called the periostracum, is typically peeling off a little, like old varnish. The shell is dark brown, flat and oval, slightly elongated at one end; inside, the shell is a deep purple. They are usually about 2 inches in diameter.
This attractive little clam has also remained obscure, Lackner said, because it’s more difficult to prepare than native species. Its body has many folds that can trap sand and grit, he said, so it requires more washing, cleaning and preparation to enjoy.
The nitty gritty
Ready to dig? It’s much easier to show than to explain — thus the importance of clam clinics like the one on May 21 — but here are the basics, according to Lackner. He recommends wearing gloves, because the shells’ edges can be sharp.
1) Using a book or a personal recommendation (ask at sporting goods stores, or at local marinas), find the basic location of the purple varnish clam beds. Head out at any low tide that is +3 feet or less (see tide tables, page 25).
2) Look for a cluster of small, keyhole-shaped “shows” in the sand, each hole about 1/8 of an inch across. If you find five or more, that’s a likely spot. Another good sign is the presence of small flakes of shell near the shows.
3) Dig a hole between 6 inches and 10 inches deep. Carefully dig away layers of sand until you encounter clams, then enlarge the hole. It’s common to find more than 10 from a single hole (the limit per person is the first 36 taken).
4) Purge the clams of sand and other particles by placing them in a solution of 1 ½ cups of rock salt to every four gallons of fresh water. Adding two crushed cloves of garlic, Lackner said, will also help the clams purge themselves of unwanted grit. Let them filter in the bucket for 24 hours, turning occasionally.
5) Don’t do any of the above without first calling the shellfish hotline at 800-448-2474, to find out about any restrictions or health advisories where you’re hunting.
To prepare the clams for cooking, he puts them in a basket and dips them into a pot of boiling water for 10 seconds. This opens the shells so the meat can easily be removed, and thoroughly cleaned under cold running water. Then, they can be fried or steamed in one of hundreds of recipes.
Some who have tasted both say that purple varnish clams taste like razor clams, but Lackner does not agree.
“They have a flavor all their own, and I think it’s delicious. If you like fried oysters, I think you’ll like these, too,” he said. “I can’t think of anything bad to say about them.”
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