According to seafood experts, our Northwest beaches are currently packed with razor clams – what a treat for fans of this delicious clam. Many seafood lovers, me included, consider their sweet, succulent, creamy-white meat to be one of the utmost delicacies of the sea.

When the moon is full and tides are low, droves of razor clammers race to the beaches – often venturing out in the dark and cold to capture their elusive and beloved clams. Dressed in traditional clamming gear – rubber boots or hip waders, sweatshirts and rain gear, with gunnysack collecting bags fastened to their belts, clammers scout the seashore. Stomping and prancing in circles around their territory in a frenetic, tribal-war-like dance, they attempt to scare the dormant clams from their hiding places deep in the sand. A small, belly button-shaped indentation in the sand is the only indication as to where the clams are buried.

In this photo taken in November 2007, evening on the Peter Iredale Beach in Warrenton saw lots of clam diggers enjoying the exercise and the outcome of thier efforts. File photo by Hugh McKenna for The Daily Astorian.Named for their razor sharp, oblong shells, Northwest razor clams (Siliqua patula) are found along sandy ocean beaches from California north to Alaska. As a child, my cousins and I would dig the clams out with our hands, digging deep holes in the cold sand like a puppy chasing a buried bone. In those days, there weren’t many people on the beach, so I was completely astounded when, a few years ago, friends and I arrived on the Long Beach Peninsula at 5 a.m. to find hundreds of clammers. It was surreal.

I hadn’t been razor clamming in a while, so I asked my friend June Kroft (an avid clammer) to reacquaint me with the process. “The clams always head toward the sea, and they usually show twice,” she explained. “They show once before the tide turns, and then a bit later.” Positioning her shovel at a 45-degree angle northwest of the clam hole, she quickly dug a deep straight hole (on the ocean side of the clam), using the suction created by the draw of the shovel to pull the clam near the surface. Sensing just how deep the hole should be, she dropped to her knees, reached in at arm’s length and pulled out a long, fat razor clam. So we continued until we’d reached our legal limit and then headed back to June’s house, where her son John cooked his delicious Lemon Pepper Razor Clams. The trick to cooking razor clams is to cook them very quickly in hot oil or butter (or a mixture of the two) – about 30 seconds to one minute per side, or until golden brown.

Note: Razor clamming is only allowed at certain times of the year, and a shellfish license is required to dig razor clams in Washington and Oregon. Check with your local Fish and Wildlife Department for details and regulations.

Buying razor clams

The key to good-tasting razor clams is freshness. Flesh should smell sweet like the sea and be creamy-white. There is a significant change in the odor and color of clams that are more than three days out of the water. If the clams smell fishy, or if the flesh has darkened, don’t buy them.

Cleaning razor clams

Clams should be cleaned as soon as possible after harvest. Some prefer to sprinkle razor clams with cornmeal and leave them for several hours in a bucket of seawater. This induces clams to purge themselves of sand.

Some people dip razor clams in boiling water before cleaning them; others feel that this process toughens the meat – so this first step is optional.

1. Dip the clam in boiling water briefly (about 3 seconds), to release the clam from the shell.

2. Remove the clam from the shell by sliding a small, sharp knife between the muscle and the flesh and, in a simultaneous motion, severing the muscle and scraping the meat away from the shell.

3. Slice off the dark portion (the tip) of the clam neck; discard.

4. Holding the clam in the palm of your hand, with the underside of the neck facing you and the dark portion turned upward, insert the knife at the base of the neck and scoop out the dark-colored intestines. Also remove the small gray flap.

5. Butterfly the clams by inserting the knife between the back opening of the clam at the lips, and following the zipper-like line from the back opening, all the way to the front of the clam, and through the neck.

6. Butterfly open the second layer of the neck.

7. Once the clam has been butterflied, the fleshy digger will be exposed. Slice off the tip of the digger and discard. Then, insert the point of the knife, with the blade turned upwards, at the point where the digger is attached to the clam, and slice upwards through the top portion of the digger to butterfly it open.

8. Scrape out the dark intestines in the digger, rinsing well under cold water. Blot clams dry on paper towels before cooking.

John Kroft’s Lemon Pepper Razor Clams

Contrary to common practice, clammer John Kroft believes that pounding razor clam meat before cooking it toughens rather than softens the meat. His melt-in-your-mouth tender razor clams are proof of his theory. His family serves these with oven-roasted new potatoes and strawberry-rhubarb pie for dessert.

Serves 4

2 large eggs

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 fresh razor clams, cleaned and blotted dry

2 tablespoons olive oil (more if necessary for consecutive batches)

1 tablespoon butter (more if necessary for consecutive batches)

1 teaspoon lemon pepper, or to taste

Whisk the eggs, pepper and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Dip each razor clam into the egg mixture, coating both sides of the clam thoroughly. Leave the clams in the egg mixture until needed.

Combine the olive oil and butter in a heavy-bottomed skillet and place the pan over medium-high heat until the butter sizzles. With a fork, stab the neck end of two clams and place the clams, front side down, in the frying pan (the back side has the hinge).

Sprinkle the clams lightly with lemon pepper and cook until the clams are lightly golden, about 1 to 2 minutes. Refrain from stirring the clams, as they will lose their coating. Flip the clams and sprinkle them again with lemon pepper. Cook another 1 to 2 minutes, or until the clams are golden brown.

Susan Pastor’s Goldfish-Fried Razor Clams

David Pastor, owner of the Cannon Beach Liquor Store, is a razor clamming fanatic. His wife Susan adapted this recipe and it has become their favorite. She crushes the goldfish crackers with a rolling pin, but a food processor works too.

2 to 4 razor clams per person, cleaned and blotted dry

Flour for breading

Eggs, beaten (as needed)

Parmesan goldfish crackers, crushed

Vegetable oil, as needed

Butter, as needed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat a mixture of vegetable oil and butter (half and half) in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet (the oil/butter mixture should measure about 1/2-inch thick in the pan). Dredge the razor clams in the flour, then coat with the beaten eggs. Next, lightly dredge with the goldfish cracker crumbs. Place the clams in the hot oil and cook very quickly, about 30 seconds per side, until golden brown. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Sautéed Razor Clams with Hazelnut Lemon Sauce

Serves 4

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 razor clams, shucked and cleaned (about 5 ounces)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons toasted chopped hazelnuts

1 tablespoon minced shallot

1 tablespoon minced flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

Italian parsley sprigs for garnish

Mix the flour with a pinch each of salt and pepper in a shallow dish or bowl. Dredge the clams in the flour, patting to remove excess.

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the clams and sauté until golden brown, about 30 seconds on each side; do not overcook. Transfer the clams to a heated plate and keep warm.

Add the wine and lemon juice to the skillet, stirring to dissolve the flavorful bits. Boil gently to reduce slightly, about 1 minute. Add the hazelnuts and shallot and cook for 30 seconds longer. Whisk in the cold butter until it has melted and the sauce has a rich consistency. Stir in the parsley, adding salt and pepper to taste.

To serve: Arrange the clams on warm serving plates, pour the sauce over them and garnish with sprigs of parsley.