Local chef Taichi Kitamura digs into a Pacific Northwest version of the po boy sandwich
As part of October’s National Seafood Month, we’ve been raising awareness that about the health benefits of seafood and the important role and economic value Washington’s fisheries have toward sustainably caught seafood in our local waters.
Washington’s razor clams are just one example of how a conservative management strategy has kept populations robust, allowing the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) the flexibility to provide harvest opportunities and economic benefits to coastal economies.
The recreational razor clam digging season kicked off earlier this month along four coastal beaches and is an enjoyable way to get outdoors, dig up, and prepare a batch of these tasty bivalves. There’s a small commercial season at Willapa Bay Spits during the spring/early summer, and the Quinault Indian Nation also conducts a sustainable harvest of razor clams on northern coastal beaches.
If you can’t get to the coast in the near future, the WDFW seafood webpage provides information on where to buy razor clams at local seafood markets and retail grocery stores. The Quinault Indian Nation sells wild and sustainable seafood including razor clams. You can also find many delicious razor clam recipes submitted by avid Washington razor clam diggers.
During National Seafood Month, WDFW has collaborated with Washington Sea Grant and asked local chefs and writers including former Seattle Times food columnist and blogger Nancy Leson to share their favorite recipes and explain why sustainable seafood matters to them.
Chef Taichi Kitamura, owner of Sushi Kappo Tamura in Seattle, spends the majority of his days serving up freshly caught sustainable seafood at his restaurant, but during his free time he’s also an avid angler and enjoys razor clam digging.
Born and raised in Kyoto, Japan, Kitamura came to Lynwood as an exchange student in 1991. He then went on to graduate from Seattle University in 1997 and opened his first restaurant in the Fremont neighborhood in 2001 followed by his current location on Eastlake in 2010.
As a shellfish enthusiast, Kitamura is resharing his delicious and easy to prepare razor clam recipe that was originally published in The Seattle Times.
Razor Clam Katsu Po Boy Sandwich
Ingredients
Four large pieces of razor clams, cleaned (see video to learn how to clean razor clams)
1/2 cup of flour
Two eggs, beaten
Two cups of panko
Vegetable oil for deep frying
Salt and pepper
Two cups of shredded iceberg lettuce
1/2 cup of Tonkatsu sauce (available at most Asian supermarkets)
1/2 cup of mayonnaise
Four soft sandwich rolls
Directions
Towel dry the razor clams, season with salt and pepper. Coat the clam with the flour, then the egg followed by a coating of panko.
In a deep pan or skillet, deep fry the clam at about 370 degrees for about a minute until golden brown.
Toast the sandwich rolls in an oven to golden.
Mix the tonkatsu sauce and mayonnaise, liberally spread it on both side of the rolls.
Assemble the sandwich with the deep-fried razor clams and shredded lettuce. Serve immediately.
(Serves four people)
If you go razor clam digging
· The next round of razor clam digs during late afternoon/evening low tides (digging is allowed from noon to midnight only) are — Nov. 1, low tide is -0.2 feet at 7:15 p.m. at Long Beach, Twin Harbors, and Mocrocks; Nov. 2, -0.4 feet at 7:47 p.m. at Long Beach, Twin Harbors, and Mocrocks (switch to standard time); Nov. 3, -0.4 feet at 7:22 p.m. at Long Beach, Twin Harbors, and Copalis; Nov. 4, -0.3 feet at 8 p.m. at Long Beach, Twin Harbors, and Copalis; and Nov. 5, -0.1 feet at 8:42 p.m. at Long Beach, Twin Harbors, and Mocrocks.
Additional tentative dates are Nov. 13–19; Nov. 29-Dec. 5; Dec. 12–18; and Dec. 28–31. Most successful digging occurs between one and two hours before the listed time of low tide.
· The Washington Department of Health (DOH) requires test samples for marine toxins, and domoic acid levels must fall under the guideline level before a beach can open for digging. More information about domoic acid, as well as current levels at ocean beaches, can be found on the WDFW’s domoic acid webpage.
· All diggers age 15 or older must have an applicable fishing license to harvest razor clams on any beach. Licenses can be purchased from WDFW’s licensing website, and from hundreds of license vendors around the state. WDFW recommends buying your license before visiting coastal beach communities.
· The 2024–25 Razor Clam Management Plan is available on the WDFW’s website. For more information, refer to the WDFW’s razor clam webpage.
