Do you know how to catch razor clams, and how to cook them? Try these razor shell rillettes. It’s kind of a spread, or a pate – pâté – as we would say in French.
If possible enough sea water to immerge clams to wash them. Otherwise water + salt.
Instructions
First wash the freshly caught razor clams. Take off any dirt from the shells and soak them in sea water or salted water (9 gr of salt per liter of watefor 2 to 3 hours so that they disgorged (they release their impurities such as sand). Then drain them.
Heat a pan without any fat. Once hot, throw razor clams in with thyme and bay leaf. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until all shells are all open. It’ll only take a few minutes. Then drain. If you want to avoid the use of cream in this recipe, keep the remaining cooking water.
Peel garlic. Finely chop garlic and parsley leaves together. Remove the shells of razor clams. Cut into 3 and then chop the mussels of razor clams, with for example a blender. You may wish to chop them coarsely or quite thin, it all depends on your taste.
Heat a pan over medium heat with a knob of unsalted butter. Fry for 5 minutes chopped razor clams with garlic, parsley and cream (or cooking water). Adjust the quantity of cream or cooking water, depending on the consistency you wish to have.
Serve chilled on toasts.
For 60 razor clams of medium size, I got about 500 gr of those rillettes.
Notes
The main steps: Briefly cook razor clams until shells open (just like you would do with mussels). Mix razor clams and briefly fry them with chopped parsley and garlic, and with cream.