Grill & smoke
Smoked Razor Clams
Alder smoke, then jars, chowder or straight snacking
- 90 min
- Medium
- Any batch
Ingredients
- 12+ cleaned razor clams
- Brine: 1/4 cup salt + 1/4 cup brown sugar per quart water
- Alder or apple wood
- Oil for brushing
Method
- Brine the clams 30 minutes; pat dry and air-dry 20 minutes until tacky.
- Smoker at 180–200°F with alder.
- Brush clams with oil; lay on the grate or a mat.
- Smoke 45–60 minutes until mahogany at the edges but still tender.
- Eat warm, or pack in olive oil in the fridge for a week of snacking.
Tip. The tacky dried surface (the pellicle) is what the smoke sticks to — don’t skip the air-dry.
Start with how to clean a razor clam if your clams are still in the shell. Washington's daily limit is the first 15 you dig, so most recipes here are sized for one limit or less.
Dig them first.
DigTide tells you the minute a dig is approved, then shows the window to be on the sand.