Razor clam and squid thermidor
Author: Graham Sharp
Ingredients
- 2kg razor clams (approx 15 clams)
- 3 tbsp white wine
- 200g squid
- 1 head fennel
- 1 head celery
- 2 large onions
- 1 bulb garlic
- 4 tbsp English mustard
- 2 star anise
- 4 tbsp brandy
- 1 litre double cream
- 100g grated gruyère cheese
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 25g unsalted butter
- 1 lemon, juice
Method
- To cook the razor clams, rinse them well under a cold tap for about 5 mins to remove as much grit as possible. Steam the clams open in a covered pan with a little white wine or water. Allow to cool slightly before pulling the clams from their shells. To prepare them, cut the longer part of the clam away from the dark sack, cut off the rounder end and the other side of the sack. Remove the wing-like part of the clam and scrape off any sand. Slice both of these parts into small slices and discard the dark sack.
- To prepare the squid, pull the tentacles away from the body. Remove the quill from inside the body and discard. Clean the body by running it under a tap or cleaning it in a bowl of water. Remove the 'ears' from either side of the squid and remove the skin with your fingers. Cut the tentacles just below the eyes, being sure not to cut the ink sac. Be sure to remove the 'beak' at the base of the tentacles. Slice into squares and score the skin.
- For the thermidor sauce, roughly chop the fennel, celery, onions and garlic. Sweat off in a pan until soft. Add the English mustard and star anise into the pan followed by the brandy, reduce down before adding the cream. Bring the mix to the boil then simmer until it thickens. Once thick, pass the sauce through a sieve and set aside.
- To finish, lightly poach the razor clam slices in the thermidor sauce and place then and the sauce into the shells. Finish with a sprinkling of the grated cheese and place under the grill to glaze. For the squid - add oil to a hot pan cook for 30 secs, finish with a knob of butter and lemon juice. Place the squid parts on top of the razor clams and serve.
