Making Steamers at Woodman’s

Steve Woodman:  The clams come mainly from the Essex River.

First they soak the clams, prior to bagging them.  This helps get the sand out.

Steve Woodman:  They’re steamed.  We just put a little bit of water in the bottom.  We put the clams in there, get it real hot, and have the steam come up and simmer the clams until they’re done.  It doesn’t take very long.  So when you steam it, it kind of pops open a little bit.

Bonnie Scatterday:  They do look nice when they’re steamed.  They’re nice and white.

Steve Woodman:  A lot of the customers, a lot of people that are there have never eaten them.

Bonnie Scatterday:  Sometimes people act timid.

Claire:  What you do is peel the skin off the neck.  Bonnie takes the belly off, I don’t.  Dip it in the broth.  Get all the sand out.  And then in the butter. … Ready?

(eats the clam) That was a big one!

Claire:  Take the clam right out of the shell.  Grab it by the neck and give it a pull.  Then you take your thumb and just pull the skin right off the neck.  Clear all the sand off of it in the nice broth.

Steve Woodman:  You dip it in some butter or whatever you want.  And you just eat it and it goes down.  It’s delicious.