All clam species are infauna, meaning they live in the sand or substrate at the bottom of a body of water, as opposed to epifauna like mussels or oysters, which live on top of the substrate. That’s pretty much the defining characteristic. You need to rinse them before cooking to get rid of any sand. Always buy from a reputable source (we buy ours from The Cornish Fishmonger). Clams can basically be treated like mussels in the kitchen – simply steamed until they open up, added to risottos, pasta or paellas or into fish stews with other shellfish and fish. They cook wonderfully quickly (4-5 minutes in steam) and so make for swift dishes.