A translation by Judith Turcotte
The Japanese love them and it is time for Quebecers to taste them. The Stimpson surf clam is a shellfish caught on the North Shore of the St. Lawrence River and in les Îles de la Madeleine. The Stimpson surf clam is also known as the Arctic surf clam, the Québec clam as well as the dune clam. For the past two decades, close to two million pounds has been caught yearly. This clam provides two byproducts: the foot, the most delicate part, is used for sushi and nigiri. The foot is also known as Hokkigai in Japanese cuisine.
In Québec, the feet are sold to Japanese restaurants and the majority are exported to Japan. The rest of the meat, known as the mantle, is sold to Quebecers in brine or in a canned chowder. I discovered the Stimpson surf clam thanks to my sister who owns a residence in les Îles de la Madeleine and who, one day, brought me back a few jars. I fell in love with the foot of the surf clam which has a fine sweet taste reminiscent of lobster. A little later, much to my surprise, I found tins of Stimpson clams on my grocery store shelf. I was disappointed to only find pieces of mantle meat in the tin. This meat does not do the Stimpson clam justice.
I undertook some research in order to find a supplier of the feet of the Stimpson clam and I found a few places that sold them but the product seemed reserved for restaurants. Moreover, on the Pêcheries Manicouagan website, which seems to be the most important supplier, they only sell frozen cases of the feet way too much for personal use.
The origin of the Stimpson clam name dates back to the nineteenth century and refers to William Stimpson (1832–1872), an American naturalist, specialized in marine zoology, who contributed to the classification of marine species. It was he who described the specie in 1860. Behold! You will retire less ignorant tonight.
The fishing of the surf clam is reserved to a few professional fishermen who hold a permit issued by Fisheries and Oceans Canada. The fishing is managed to ensure the durability of the resource with strict controls on the permits, the seasons, the quotas and the minimum catch size. These controls are essential because the surf clam is a slow-growing specie. The largest caught in les Îles de la Madeleine can exceed 75 years of age. The harvest is done by hydraulic dredges and recreational fishing is prohibited.
In cooking, it is essential to make the difference between the foot and the mantle. The taste of the foot is superior and can be served with a simple mayonnaise and a little mustard. The meat of the mantle should be used in hot dishes such as pasta, chowder and pizza.