Navajas a la Plancha

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Cast-iron plancha or heavy griddle, at least 32cm wide
• •Tall narrow container for purging
• •Small bowl and spoon
• •Long kitchen tongs

Instructions

1. 1

   Inspect and purge

   Discard any razor clam with a broken shell or a sour smell. Stir the 105g salt into the 3 litres of cold water, then stand the clams upright in a tall container so released sand can fall away from them. Refrigerate for 30 to 40 minutes. Lift them out rather than pouring them through the sandy water, rinse each shell briefly under cold water, and pat them thoroughly dry.

   Use salt water at 35g per litre. Plain fresh water kills the clams and does a poor job of clearing them. Pésalo, no lo adivines, weigh it, don't guess.
2. 2

   Mix the dressing

   Combine 45ml olive oil with the minced garlic, chopped parsley, and 15ml lemon juice. Leave it for 10 minutes while the plancha heats. The garlic stays raw and sharp enough to season the clam liquor, but it goes on late so it cannot burn and turn bitter.

3. 3

   Heat the plancha

   Set a cast-iron plancha or wide heavy griddle over high heat for 5 minutes. It is ready when a drop of water beads and races across the surface. Brush it with the remaining 15ml oil. The metal must be fiercely hot before the clams arrive, or they release their liquor slowly and toughen before they open.

4. 4

   Griddle in batches

   Lay half the clams flat on the plancha in one uncrowded layer. They should begin opening within 30 to 60 seconds. As they open, spoon half the garlic and parsley dressing into the shells. Remove each clam with tongs as soon as its flesh turns pearly opaque and curls slightly at the edges, usually after another 20 to 30 seconds. Repeat with the second batch.

   Do not wait for every clam before removing the first ones. Take them off individually as they open. Any clam still firmly closed after 2 minutes should be discarded.
5. 5

   Season and serve

   Arrange the clams on a warm platter and spoon over any garlicky juices left on the plancha. Taste before adding the 1g flaky salt because good razor clams carry plenty of their own. Serve immediately with the lemon wedges and bread for catching the liquor. A minute on the plancha is supper; several minutes is rubber. Siempre sale, si lo sigues.

Chef Tips

• •Buy the clams alive from a licensed fishmonger with good turnover. The shells may gape slightly, but the animal should withdraw when touched and smell cleanly of the sea. Reject cracked shells and anything sour.
• •Do not crowd the plancha. A heap of cold shells drops the heat and makes them stew in their liquor. On a 32cm griddle, cook about 600g at a time.
• •If frozen opened razor clams are all you can find, thaw them overnight in the refrigerator, drain them, and dry them well. They lose some juice and the shell cannot tell you when they are ready, so cook only until the flesh is opaque, about 30 seconds on the exposed side and 20 seconds on the shell side.
• •Serve these with a young, dry Albariño from the Rías Baixas. Its acidity suits the sweet, saline clam without covering it.
• •Razor clams wait badly once cooked. Refrigerated leftovers remain usable until the following day, but reheating makes them tough. Chop them cold into their juices and spoon them over bread instead.

Advance Preparation

• •The garlic and parsley dressing can be mixed up to 4 hours ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Bring it out 15 minutes before cooking so the oil loosens.
• •Keep live razor clams refrigerated in a breathable container under a damp cloth and cook them the day they are bought. Do not seal them in plastic or leave them soaking overnight.
• •Purge the clams shortly before cooking, then dry them well. The actual griddling takes only a few minutes and should be left until everyone is ready to eat.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 170g)