Ease of Preparation: Medium
Time of Preparation: 8-10 minutes
Yield: 4-6 servings, as an appetizer
Sweet razor clams are gently steamed with sparkling cava, and accented with crisp, salty Iberico ham in this tapa. They’re then covered with crust of breadcrumbs and rich Manchego cheese for a quick broil. You’ll be tempted to eat the whole platter, so save some for the guests!
Ingredients:
- 2 cups (470 ml) cava (Spanish sparkling wine)
- 24 small fresh razor clams
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) butter, cold
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) olive oil, for frying
- 3 ½ ounces (100 g) jamón Iberico, finely chopped
- 2 small shallots, finely chopped
- 1 lemon, zest only
- ½ cup (120 ml) chopped parsley
- ½ cup (120 ml) finely chopped chives
- 4 tablespoons (60 ml) grated Manchego cheese
- ¼ cup (60 ml) panko breadcrumbs
- Pepper
- Lemon wedges, to serve
Method:
Preheat oven to 450 F (230 C).
Heat Cava in a large pan with a lid over high heat.
Rinse the razor clams thoroughly under cold running water.
Add clams to the Cava in the pan and cover. Cook, shaking the pan, for 90 seconds until the clams have just opened (discard any that stay shut).
Remove the clams from the Cava and continue boiling for 2-3 minutes until reduced by 3/4. Remove from the heat and swirl in the cold butter.
Remove the meat from the shells and cut away the foot/digger (the round dark bit at the end) and remove the stomach and intestinal tract, leaving only the firm white meat. Slice the cleaned meat into thin slices.
Clean and reserve the shells for presentation.
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a frying pan and fry the jamón until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, reserving the fat at room temperature.
Mix the shallot with parsley, lemon zest, Manchego, and panko and season with pepper. Fold in the reserved fat.
In a separate bowl, gently fold together the clam meat, crispy jamon, chives, and the cava-butter reduction.
Spoon the clam meat-jamon mixture into the shells, then top with the panko-Manchego mixture and bake for 1-2 minutes until just golden.
Serve warm, with lemon wedges.
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