Clam juice

A shot glass of clam juice

Clam juice is the broth obtained from clams.[1] It is prepared using the liquid collected from steamed clams. Clam juice is used as an ingredient in various dishes, as a beverage that is drunk in its whole form, and as an ingredient in various beverages.

Preparation

Clam juice is typically prepared from the liquid obtained from steamed clams.[1] Clam juice may be prepared fresh[2] or obtained in prepared bottled form.[1][3] Some companies mass-produce prepared clam juice, which is performed by steaming fresh clams in water with salt, collecting the liquor, and then filtering the liquid.[1][4]

In 1937, William G. Frazier invented a clam opener devised to easily open clams and retain all of the clam juice, which was collected in a bowl.[5] A patent for the clam opener was issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office on November 15, 1938.[5]

Use in dishes

Bottled clam juice being used in the preparation of clam chowder

Clam juice is sometimes used in the preparation of clam chowder and other chowders.[3] It may be used as an ingredient in various sauces and meat sauces, seafood dishes, in soup bases, and as a condiment to top foods, similar to the manner that fish sauce may be used.[1][6][7]

Italian chefs sometimes use clam juice as an ingredient in seafood dishes and pasta sauces.[1] It is sometimes used during the deglazing process in cooking.[1] It may provide a mineral-like flavor to dishes, and serve as a substrate to assist in combining flavors present in a dish.[1]

As a beverage

Some restaurants and bars in the US serve shots of pure clam juice.[8] For example, the Old Clam House in San Francisco, California serves a shot glass of hot clam juice at the beginning of each meal.[8] In the early 1900s in the United States, clam juice was purported to be a hangover remedy.[1]

Exterior of the Everleigh Club, circa 1911

The Everleigh Club, a former brothel in Chicago, Illinois, that was in operation from 1900 to October 1911, would serve iced clam juice and a tablet of aspirin as a starter for breakfast, which began at 2:00 in the afternoon.[9][10]

Beverages with clam juice

Soda fountains

In the United States in the early 1900s, clam juice was used as an ingredient for various beverages at soda fountains.[11] Beverages prepared with clam juice included hot clam juice, hot clam soda, hot ginger clam broth, hot celery punch, hot clam cream, clam night cap, tomato clam broth and others.[11][12][13][14]

During this time, a recipe for hot clam juice used one-half to one-ounce of clam juice in an eight-ounce glass, the remainder of which was filled with hot water.[11] Accompaniments included soda crackers, celery salt, salt and pepper.[11] The beverage was sometimes prepared with the addition of milk or hot milk.[11] The addition of a small portion of butter would enhance the flavor of hot clam juice.[11]

Cocktails

In contemporary times, clam juice is sometimes used as an ingredient or drink mixer in cocktails, such as the Bloody Mary and Caesar,[2][15][16] also known as a Bloody Caesar.[17]

Clamato

Main article: Clamato
A Caesar cocktail prepared with Clamato

Clamato is a mass-produced beverage prepared with tomato juice concentrate, clam juice and spices.[18][19] It also contains high fructose corn syrup, monosodium glutamate, salt and ascorbic acid.[19] Clamato is used as an ingredient in the Caesar cocktail.[20] The Michelada, a beer cocktail, is sometimes prepared using Clamato as an ingredient.[21]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Werner, Tommy (March 20, 2015). "What's your pantry (and cocktail) missing? Clam Juice". Epicurious. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
  2. 1 2 O'Hara, C.B.; Nash, W.A. (1999). The Bloody Mary: A Connoisseur's Guide to the World's Most Complex Cocktail. Lyons Press Series. Lyons Press. p. 77. ISBN 978-1-55821-786-7. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
  3. 1 2 Broyles, Addie (December 28, 2015). "Ring in New Year with fresh chowder". The Seattle Times. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Clam Juice". Cook's Illustrated. November 2008. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
  5. 1 2 "Patent US 2136816 A". United States Patent and Trademark Office. November 15, 1938. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  6. ↑ Chiarella, Tom (March 2, 2013). "The Endorsement: Clam Juice". Esquire. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
  7. ↑ Burros, Marian (March 20, 1996). "Seafood, Pasta And Spice". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
  8. 1 2 Lybarger, Jeremy (December 17, 2015). "The Old Clam House: Time-Worn Gem Turned Into Just Another Tourist Trap". SF Weekly. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
  9. ↑ Tait, Elaine (February 16, 1997). "Bordello Cooking: Mmm, Mmm Good!". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
  10. ↑ Washburn, Charles (1934). "Come Into My Parlor" (PDF). National Library Press. p. 156. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 The Dispenser Soda Water Guide. D.O. Haynes & Company. 1909. p. 122.
  12. ↑ Fountain, Soda (1915). The Dispenser's Formulary, Or, Soda Water Guide. D.O. Haynes. p. 92.
  13. ↑ Fox, Irving P. (1911). "The Spatula". Volume 18. Spatula Publishing Company. p. 157. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  14. ↑ Practical Druggist and Pharmaceutical Review of Reviews. Lillard & Company. 1920. p. 60.
  15. ↑ McCart, Melissa (December 31, 2015). "On the Table: Kick off the year with a bloody mary". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
  16. ↑ "Best Caesar". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. April 10, 2013. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
  17. ↑ "Calgary's Bloody Caesar hailed as nation's favourite cocktail". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. May 13, 2009. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
  18. ↑ Drane, Amanda (January 8, 2016). "Madame Barfly: The Library in Easthampton is about the booze, not the books". Daily Hampshire Gazette. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
  19. 1 2 O'Brien, Erin (February 20, 2008). "Drinking Responsibly". Cleveland Free Times. Archived from the original on May 17, 2008. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
  20. ↑ Bowman, Paul Harrington and Laura Moorhead ; designed and illustrated by Douglas (1998). Cocktail : the drinks bible for the 21st century. New York: Viking. pp. 68–69. ISBN 0-670-88022-1.
  21. ↑ Gold, Jonathan (October 31, 2015). "At Colonia Publica, come home to a warm bowl of fideo". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 19, 2016.

Further reading

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