The Essential Rhode Island Quahog Guide
Everything you need to know about harvesting, cooking and eating the Ocean State's favorite clam.
Courtesy of Fearless Fish.
Clam Plans
Where to buy local shellfish.
By Jamie Coelho
Andrade’s Catch
Andrade’s Catch is a cash-only shop that helps local quahoggers make a living by giving them a place to sell their haul. Clams are dug daily in Rhode Island waters and sold onsite along with many other types of seafood. 186 Wood St., Bristol, 253-4529, andradescatchri.com/shop
Twin Shellfish
This little shop in Warwick’s Apponaug Cove sells fresh shellfish including quahogs, littlenecks, steamers and conch snails while serving as a member of the Rhode Island Shellfisherman’s Association. 5 Harrop Ave., Warwick, 737-1575, twinshellfish.com
Fearless Fish
Order fresh, local seafood online for curbside pickup, as part of the Fearless Fish fish share program, or stop by during open hours. The West Side market announces what it has in stock on its website and social media each day, including locally harvested wild clams. 425 West Fountain St., Providence, 415-8905, fearlessfishmarket.com
Champlin’s
The Champlin’s fish market offers daily seafood and Narragansett Bay and Salt Pond wild-caught clams in various sizes including littlenecks, cherrystones and the larger quahogs. 256 Great Island Rd., Narragansett, 783-3152, champlins.com
Tony’s Seafood
Stop by the market for local clams and seafood or order fresh fish and shellfish for home delivery through the WhatsGood app. Pre-paid curbside pickup is also still an option. Sign up for the email newsletter to learn about weekly specials. 1365 Fall River Ave., Seekonk, Mass., 508-336-6800, tonysfreshseafood.com/retail
The Local Catch
The Local Catch delivers local seafood, including fish, local oysters and wild littleneck clams, to homes three days a week throughout Rhode Island and Connecticut. You can also browse and buy or pre-order at the Hope Street Farmers Market in Providence, the Aquidneck Growers Farmers Market in Newport, the Pawtuxet Village farmers market or Coastal Growers Market at Casey Farm in Saunderstown. thelocalcatch.com
Ocean Catch
Ocean Catch carries local harvested clams of all sizes, including littlenecks, topnecks and quahogs, available for purchase in the market. 566 Kingstown Rd., Wakefield, 789-3474, oceancatchseafoodri.com
Narragansett Bay Lobsters
Narragansett Bay Lobsters is offering home delivery to select towns in Rhode Island. The business has added seafood options including fresh fish, littlenecks, Rhode Island lobsters, calamari, stuffies and much more. narragansettbaylobsters.com
Digger’s Catch
Digger’s Catch in East Providence sells local quahogs, littlenecks, steamers, lobsters, rock crabs and more. The owner has been a licensed shellfisherman for more than forty years, so you know he’s got the right connections for the freshest local shellfish. 537 North Broadway, East Providence, 490-0740
Photograph by Wolf Matthewson.
How To Quahog
Tips for digging and harvesting clams.
Twenty-seven-year veteran quahogger Jody King works with the Rhode Island DEM Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Aquatic Resource Education program to conduct four to six Come Clam With Me workshops per season that teach participants how to find, harvest and cook shellfish. For more information about RI DEM’s Come Clam with Me workshops, contact Kimberly Sullivan at kimberly.sullivan@dem.ri.gov.
What to take: If you don’t have a bullrake, King says, bring simple garden tools like rakes, trowels or even a pitchfork. You can purchase gear (rake, basket and gauge) at a local hardware store or bait shop. Pack a cooler with ice to keep your clams cold after harvesting. And don’t forget a hat and sunscreen.
How to do it: “Pick up a rake and settle it down to the sandy bottom of the water. You want the teeth in the bottom. Go back and forth, softening up the bottom until you hear something pop into the rake. It’s either going to be a quahog or a rock,” King says. “When you feel something in it, pull it back up and shake it underwater. The sand and gravel should come out through the holes. What should be left are rocks and quahogs. If you find small ones, put them through the ring [gauge]. Throw anything that falls through the ring back in the water. That’s an undersized juvenile. One inch at the hinge is the minimum size that we can take home. The small ones are my future paycheck.”
Keep ’em cold: Put all the clams that you catch in a floating basket or bucket, take them home in a cooler or on ice and enjoy! —J.C.
Source: Jody King, RI DEM Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Aquatic Resource Education program
Photograph by Jamie Coelho.
Pasta and Clam Sauce
Try Jody King’s family recipe at home with your harvested catch.
“Scrub your clams and dry them off completely. All you need is four simple items: olive oil, garlic, basil and crushed red pepper mixed in a bag or a bowl. Marry those ingredients. Pour them over the top of your clams once you have them in a pot. Don’t add any wine, water or beer. Turn the burner on high, shake your clams up once, let them start steaming. Once the clams start opening, all the liquor gets dumped into the pan. You will be amazed by how much liquor is in there. When all those clams are open, serve them over pasta or with a nice fresh loaf of Italian bread. Dip your bread in and you’re good to go.” —Jody King
