Sizzling Razor Clams with Garlic, Parsley and Crisp Jamón

⏱ 25 min · Serves 2

Razor clams open in seconds in a hot pan, drinking up sherry, garlic and olive oil. Shards of crisp jamón and a shower of parsley finish them off — a proper Spanish beach-bar plate you can put on the table in a quarter of an hour.

Per serving: 475 kcal · 34.0g protein · 8.0g carbs · 33.0g fat

Ingredients

• 1 kg live razor clams (about 12), rinsed
• 60 g jamón serrano, thinly sliced then shredded
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, very finely sliced
• 1 small dried red chilli, crumbled (optional)
• 75 ml dry fino or manzanilla sherry
• 1 large handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (about 20 g)
• Finely grated zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
• Flaky sea salt and black pepper
• Crusty bread, to serve

Method

1. Soak the razor clams in a bowl of cold salted water for 15 minutes to purge any grit, then lift out and drain. Discard any that stay wide open when tapped.
2. Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a large wide frying pan over medium heat. Fry the shredded jamón for 1–2 minutes until crisp, then lift onto kitchen paper, leaving the flavoured oil behind.
3. Add the remaining 3 tbsp oil, the garlic and chilli to the pan. Cook gently for 1 minute until the garlic is pale gold and fragrant — do not let it brown.
4. Turn the heat to high, lay the razor clams in the pan in a single layer (work in two batches if needed) and pour in the sherry. Cover and steam for 2–3 minutes, just until the shells gape and the meat turns opaque. Remove any that open early.
5. Take off the heat. Snip away the dark stomach sac from each clam if you like, then return them to the pan.
6. Add the parsley, lemon zest and juice, and swirl the pan to emulsify the juices. Season with pepper and a little flaky salt (the jamón is salty).
7. Tip onto a warm platter, spoon over all the pan juices, scatter with the crisp jamón and serve at once with bread for mopping.