Not a clam “bake” but a clam smoke in Madolenihmw

By Bill Jaynes The Kaselehlie Press

May 14, 2023

Madolenihmw, Pohnpei—This morning the Marine and Environmental Research Institute of Pohnpei (MERIP Micronesia) sponsored a demonstration of clam smoking for local interested local residents and farmers of Madolenihmw. The demonstration was part of a Pacific American Fund of USAID-funded project for capacity building and food security, specifically involving the sustainable raising, propagation, and potential commercial use of giant clams.

Once giant clams were abundant in Pohnpei’s waters, but for a variety of reasons, including overharvesting, the population significantly declined, not quite to the point of extinction, but very close to it. MERIP, in partnership with USAID, has been working to change that.

MERIP contracted Dr. Kevin L. Rhodes, MarAlliance Coastal Fisheries Coordinator of Pacific Marine Science and Conservation to give the demonstration. More than 50 people crowded under the shelter at the MERIP facilities in Madolenihmw as Dr. Rhodes explained the process.

Dr. Rhodes explained that before smoking, the clams need to be boiled in order to fully cook them before the smoking process. Though he did not use any for the demonstration, he explained about various marinades that could be used, saying also that particular marinades or even preparation processes could be revised according to taste.

He said that though clams could be prepared solely by smoking, his experimentation on that process left an undesirable, tough and dry end product. Unlike tough cuts of beef like brisket and ribs that benefit from long, slow smoking at low heat in order to break down the tough fibers, he found that clams merely dried out.

Rhodes used a rudimentary but effective home-built “smoker” for his demonstration and explained how to build one. It consisted of a locally sourced barrel that had not been used for petroleum products and that had been thoroughly cleaned. He had the bottom of the barrel cut out as the platform for charcoal briquets and soaked hardwood. Though he used a variety of imported hardwoods such as cherry, apple, and hickory, local hardwood can also be used, providing a variety of tastes. Woods like Mahogany, mangrove woods, ironwood, and any citrus trees such as limes, or oranges can also be used to great effect and are locally available.

In the low middle of the smoker, he had used the former top of the barrel as a diffuser for the smoke. In it, he had drilled holes to allow the smoke to rise to the smoking platform, a cooking screen where the meat is placed to smoke. The diffuser was supported by two pieces of rebar inserted through drilled holes. At the bottom of the barrel, he had cut an access panel into the side of the barrel to allow for air circulation. He adjusted the circulation on a rudimentary level by blocking the vent with concrete blocks. After the flame is lit on the cut-out bottom of the barrel and smoke has begun to rise from the cut-out bottom of the barrel, the barrel was lifted to cover the charcoal platform and allowed to smoke for a bit longer.

Bamboo skewers were used for the clam pieces before smoking to ensure that they didn’t fall through the cooking grate.

After approximately 12 minutes of smoking, Dr. Rhodes passed the skewers around for tasting. For the most part, the reaction to the taste test was positive, though one attendee immediately opined that they were overcooked. Dr. Rhodes reminded them that experimentation and adaptation to suit individual tastes were part of the goal of the demonstration.

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