Asian Clams Invade Lake Tahoe

Steve Chilton is the Aquatic Nuisance Species Coordinator for the

Lake Tahoe and Northern Nevada office

of the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

Lake Tahoe is currently experiencing an influx in Asian Clams, which can cause major problems if not eradicated soon. Steve and his team are preparing to launch a pilot program where they will try suffocate the clams.

The clams are edible, but very small, under an inch in diameter. Christine Ngai, a fisheries biologist at the University of Nevada, Reno, came up with this recipe for Asian Clams:

“Three cups” clams

“Three cups” is a traditional Taiwanese style cooking. “Three cups” represent three main ingredients for making a sauce: one cup of soy sauce, one cup of rice wine, and one cup of sesame oil. The idea is to have equal portion of each, the “three cups” basic. The same sauce is also commonly used to cook chicken, squid, and assorted mushrooms.

3-4 slices of ginger

4-5 gloves of garlic, coarsely chopped

2-3 Asian chili peppers, coarsely chopped

Big bunch of basil, coarsely chopped

Clams

Sauce:

2 Tablespoons each of soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice wine

1/2 Tablespoon sugar

1. Heat wok with 2 tablespoons of sesame oil and 1 tablespoon of cooking oil

2. Turn to low heat and fry ginger, garlic, and hot peppers until golden brown and fragrant

3. Turn to high heat, add clams, and pour over soy sauce, rice wine, and sugar and quickly stir fry the clam to mix

4. Put the lid over and let cook until the clams are fully cooked (when the shells have opened), 6-8 minutes

5. Turn off the heat, add chopped basil and give the clams a quick stir

6) Enjoy!

Music break: Gooden's Corner by Grant Green