Safe Shucks

Clams are proverbial for shutting tight; there’s a strong muscle at the hinge that has nothing to do but hold the upper and lower shells closed. On top of that, clams are likely to be small, wet and clumsy to hold, so careless shucking is one of the easiest ways to hurt yourself seriously in the kitchen. Here’s a safe way:

Place a towel on a work surface and set a clam on it. Fold one end of the towel over the clam shell, leaving the hinge end of the clam exposed. (The towel improves your traction on the clam while protecting your hands.) Holding the clam down firmly with one hand, insert a knife between the two shells and cut through the hinge muscle.

Open the clam and scrape the clam meat from the shell into a bowl. Be sure to catch the clam juice as well.