How to Gather Coquina Clams
Coquina clams are tiny, colourful clams of the beach swash zone, gathered by the scoopful and simmered into a delicate, intensely flavoured clam broth - a classic free taste of the surf beach.
Coquinas are gathered whole for broth, so rinse thoroughly to remove sand and gather only from clean, open beaches. Mind the surf and tide. Shellfish is a serious allergen; cook thoroughly and strain.
Coquina clams are the little jewels of the surf beach - tiny, brightly banded clams in pinks, yellows and purples that burrow by the thousand right in the swash where the waves run up and slide back. Far too small to shuck, they have one perfect use: gathered by the scoop and simmered whole, they give up a clear, delicate, intensely sweet clam broth that tastes of the beach itself. It is free, easy and a little bit magic.
Why go for them
The broth is the reward - a clean, sweet, subtly briny clam stock that you simply cannot buy, made from clams you scooped out of the wave wash minutes earlier. Gathering them is also pure, simple fun, watching the coloured shells reappear and dig down with each retreating wave, which makes it a lovely activity for children too.
Where and when to find them
Coquinas live in the swash zone, the band of wet sand where waves break and recede, often in huge numbers. Look for the little coloured shells surfacing and re-burrowing as each wave pulls back, most abundantly in the warmer months, and simply follow the water's edge until you find a productive stretch.
How to catch them
Scoop the wet sand where you see them as a wave recedes, and sieve or wash out the sand to leave a scoopful of tiny clams; repeat along the swash. A sieve or a scoop with a mesh bottom makes quick work of it. Rinse the clams well in clean seawater, and take only what you will use.
Handling, cleaning and cooking
Rinse the clams repeatedly in clean seawater to purge sand, then simmer them whole in a little water for a few minutes until they open and release their liquor; strain the broth through fine cloth to remove any grit and tiny shells. Use the fragrant broth as a base for soups, rice and sauces. Do not try to pick meat from such tiny clams.
Safety and the law
Because you cook them whole and strain, thorough rinsing and clean water matter most - gather coquinas only from clean, open beaches away from pollution, and strain the broth carefully. Mind the surf and the tide in the swash zone. Cook thoroughly, heed any local closures, and remember shellfish is a serious allergen. See our shellfish safety guide.