Poêlez vos couteaux
par Darya
Petit, le Grand ramassait des couteaux sur la plage ; en revanche, il ne se souvient pas d’en avoir mangé. Quant à moi, je ne me souviens ni d’en avoir ramassé, ni d’en avoir mangé (je suis même sure de n’en avoir jamais mangé, réticente que j’étais à tout ce qui pouvait provenir de la mer). Lorsque nous avons repéré un petit monticule de couteaux vivants sur l’étal du poissonnier, nous avons immédiatement eu envie d’y goûter, petits curieux que nous sommes. Le poissonnier nous a recommandé de les servir le plus simplement du monde : poêlés, et arrosés de beurre persillé et/ou aillés (moi je dis « et »). Et c’est ce que nous avons fait. J’en ai également cuit une certaine quantité pour les mélanger avec des pâtes (à venir prochainement si cela s’avère une réussite). C’est vraiment délicieux ! Au goût, c’est proche des moules, mais la texture est un peu plus ferme. Et dans l’assiette, c’est vraiment élégant ces jolies coquilles à l’intérieur bleu nacré. J’en referai occasionnellement !
Comptez 5 à 6 couteaux par personne. Rincez-les à l’eau claire, puis faites-les dégorger dans de l’eau froide salée pendant 6 à 12 heures (ça bouge, ça s’ouvre légèrement, ça se referme, ça fait des bulles, c’est normal, c’est vivant !). Rincez de nouveau et épongez avec du papier absorbant.
Dans une sauteuse, faites chauffer une à deux cuillers à soupe d’huile végétale sur feu vif. Ajouter les couteaux et une échalote finement hachée. Remuez pendant une à deux minutes, le temps que les couteaux s’ouvrent. Lorsqu’ils commencent à s’ouvrir, essayez de les retourner afin que le côté chair touche la poêle. Ajoutez deux gousses d’ail (frais) émincées, une petite poignée de persil plat haché et une grosse noix de beurre (environ 20 gr.). Dès que le beurre est fondu, ôtez la poêle du feu. Jetez les couteaux qui ne se seraient pas ouverts.
Servez les couteaux, arrosés de beurre persillé et aillé. Salez (très légèrement) et poivrez (généreusement). Ajouter un peu de persil frais haché supplémentaire. Arrosez d’un trait de jus de citron. N’oubliez pas d’avoir un quignon de pain à portée de main pour saucer. Bon appétit !
The English-speaking corner
P. used to gather razor clams as a child, but he doesn’t remember ever eating them. I certainly never ate any, as I hated anything that came from the sea on principle. As we passed by the fishmonger’s and saw he had a big pile of live razor clams, we decided it was time to give them a try. We were feeling curious and adventurous. The fishmonger told us to simply pan-fry them and serve with melted garlic and (or) parsley butter. That’s what we did. I also cooked some and set them aside for another day; I am thinking of adding them to a pasta dish (I’ll post the recipe if it turns out well). I really loved this dish! The clams reminded me slightly of mussels, but they have a chewier texture. And they look so pretty on a plate, the inside of the shell is pearly white, and the clams look so delicate. I will certainly be making them occasionally in the future!
You will need 5 or 6 clams per person. Run them under cold water, then soak in salted water for 6 to 12 hours (they will open slightly, close, bubble and move). Drain, rince again, and pat dry with a paper towel.
Heat 1 or 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil (I used sunflower oil) over high heat. Add the clams to the pan along with a finely chopped shallot, and stir for a minute or two, until the clams start opening. Turn them upside down, so the flesh touches the pan. Add two slivered garlic cloves (fresh), a handful of chopped flatleaf parsley, and a big knob of butter (about 20 gr.). As soon as the butter has melted, remove from the pan. Discard any clams that didn’t open.
Serve the clams with the melted butter poured over them, a little salt and a generous amount of ground pepper. Add some more chopped parsley, and drizzle with fresh lemon juice (to taste). Have some good bread on the side, to mop up the sauce. Bon appétit!
Je me souviens d’en avoir ramasses etant petite mais pas d’en avoir mange non plus ! Il faudra que j’essaie. Merci pour la recette 🙂
C’est peut-être plus le genre de coquillage qu’on collectionnait enfant parce qu’on trouvait ça joli et original ! Mais je pense que c’est typiquement le genre de chose qu’un enfant n’aime pas trop manger… 🙂
Si tu aimes les moules, clams ou bulots ça devrait te plaire !
oh what funny shaped clams..i can’t say I’ve ever had a razor clam, but yours look just beautiful…lovely post..sarah
If you like mussels, clams and whelks, you will certainly like these! I was lucky to find them at all, as they usually sell out very early in the morning, way before I even wake up (they are so popular, people here love them)!
Je crois que ça n’existe pas chez-moi… je serai attentive à ma prochaine visite chez le poissonnier…
Coucou Diane ! Merci pour ton commentaire.
J’avoue ne pas savoir si les couteaux « poussent » de votre côté de l’Atlantique ! Ici les gens les adorent, mais ce n’est pas toujours évident d’en trouver parce qu’ils ont tellement de succès qu’il faut arriver à l’ouverture de la poissonnerie pour être sûr d’en avoir. Là, j’ai eu de la chance !
En tout cas, si tu aimes les crustacés dans le genre moules et palourdes, ça devrait te plaire !
Bisous
Aprés une belle balade ,manger ce que l’on a ramasser avec une sauce trés parfumée ! Le réve 🙂 Bisous
Eh oui, certains ont cette chance ! Cela doit ajouter encore au charme du plat ! 🙂
This was an educational post for me. Never seen them anywhere. 🙂
Really? I just did a quick research and they are quite common on the Atlantic coast, in Northern Europe and apparently Northern Canada as well. I have no idea whether they can be found on the Pacific coast!
Razor clams! We love them! It wasn’t so long ago that American, unless they were from the Pacific Northwest or of Chinese ancestry, didn’t like razor clams. If they had seen them at all, they thought of them as kind of gross. In fact, I remember a conversation with a cookbook editor about a young chef from the Pacific Northwest who was considered edgy because he put razor clams on his menu. Now of course they’re widely known, and pound for pound give you more bang for a buck than almost any other clam. I don’t think they’re quite as pretty, or as delicately textured as quahogs (littleneck clams) but they certainly are tasty. I had no idea they were known in France.
I’m curious – in the US it’s often customary to remove the integument (the tubelike sheath that encases each clam) before eating, and certainly before chopping and adding them to, say, pasta. Do the French just plow ahead and eat the entire thing, or do individual diners remove their own sheath? Thanks.
Ken
They used to be the kind of thing you went looking for if you lived by the seaside, but now they have become very fashionable; they sell little overpriced bunches at Parisian fishmongers’, and they serve them in fancy restaurants as well.
Following your question about the integument, I did a quick research: it seems that in France, people don’t really bother removing any part of the clam, whereas on English-speaking websites, it is usually recommended to remove at least the little dark pouch where the intestine is (and its grit). I admit I served the clams without removing any part of them, and then we individually removed the little dark pouch without thinking about it; it seemed a natural thing to do. I did not remove the entire integument, and it tasted just like the rest of the clam. 🙂
Darya–Thanks for the research. I’m going to pass it on to Jody. We’ll be in France in August, so I’ll keep my eyes peeled for razor clams. Ken
Which part of France will you be visiting? I hope you get a chance to eat razor clams! (In my area it will be mussels season, and I am looking forward to it very much!)
Yesterday I had dinner with my brother in Paris and one of the first courses was grilled « ventrèche » (I am not sure how to translate it, perhaps « smoked pork belly ») and razor clams! I had to try that (and it was delicious). They served the razor clams with the integument, and I ate it (I only removed the little gritty pouch). It was served with a pesto, chopped olives, blanched tomatoes and heaps of capers, as well as some parmesan on top. quite tasty!
Sounds great! Do you remember the name of the restaurant? Ken
I do, but I wouldn’t recommend it, as the other dishes were all a bit disappointing (not bad, but not great either). It is called Le Troquet, it is in the 15th arrondissement, rue François Bonvin.
Ah, well, back to Chez Janou (which you definitely try, near the Place des Vosges, if you haven’t already).
Ken
I never heard of Chez Janou! Perhaps next time I travel to Paris! Thanks for the tip
They look delicious! I had always thought they were a European specialty, but I’ve just done a google search and found that certain fish markets here in Australia may sell them (and surprisingly they’re not imported/frozen ones, but locally found in South Australia)! I’ll be keeping an eye out from them from now on. 🙂
Do give them a try some day if you can! They are really good! There are several different varieties of razor shells/clams, so I am not surprised that they can be found in Australia after all! 🙂
Il y a des lustres que je n’en ai pas mangé. Ici ils n’en vendent pas en poissonnerie mais quelques fois on en trouve un ou deux sur la plage. Pas de quoi nourrir une famille…J’adore les fruits de mer depuis toujours.
Effectivement, un ou deux c’est à peine suffisant pour éveiller l’appétit… C’est dommage que tu n’en trouves pas dans les poissonneries, ici il n’y en a pas systématiquement, c’est pour ça que j’ai sauté sur l’occasion quand j’en ai vu ! 🙂
Beautiful and simple. I used to sell razor clams when I worked at a fish store. They’re very elegant and delicious. I’m so glad you guys went out on a limb to try these! So worth it!
I agree with you! I am so glad we tried them! Now I am thinking of so many other ways of using them!
Lovely!
Thank you!
Moi, je dis « et » aussi 🙂
J’adore les couteaux, mais je ne les ai jamais préparés à la maison. Maintenant, je dois le faire!
C’est vraiment facile à préparer. C’est comme des moules (+ 1 minute). Je suis heureuse de t’avoir donné envie d’essayer à la maison!
Beauté étrange! I am sure I would love this, both visually and in taste (I don’t eat meat, but sometimes fish or seafood).
If you like mussels and clams, you will certainly like these (and they ARE so elegant, aren’t they?). I will try to write a post about the pasta dish I made using the cooked leftovers, it was delicious.
I look forward to your recipe a lot! I guess that razor clams are not that easy to get in Berlin, but I will keep my eyes open.
How interesting! I’ve never had them either. Thanks for this!
My pleasure! It was fun to try them out!
I have picked up many shells at the beach and enjoyed razor clams in restaurants, but have never made them at home. Bravo!
Thank you, Michelle! They really were just as easy as any other shellfish! I have yet to find a restaurant which serves razor clams… I will certainly try them the day I see them on a menu!
Mathias was crazy about the Razor clams, so will try this as well 🙂
This is a very simple recipe. I’ve had razor clams a few times in restaurants, and the chefs always came up with the most interesting combinations!