Razor Clams A La Plancha Recipes

PANKO-BREADED FRIED RAZOR CLAMS

Steps:

• Place a sheet of wax paper on a flat baking sheet sized to fit in your freezer; set aside.
• Beat eggs together in a bowl. Stir together the four, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a second bowl. Mix together the panko and Parmesan cheese in a third bowl. Flour the clams well, shaking off any excess. Dip clams into the eggs, then into the panko mixture, pressing it evenly onto the clams. Place on prepared baking sheet, cover with wax paper; freeze until firm.
• Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Fry clams until lightly browned, about 1 minute on each side. Do not overcook or they will become tough. Place on paper towels to drain.

RAZOR CLAMS A LA PLANCHA

Steps:

• Heat a griddle until very hot.
• Add a little olive oil and a single layer of clams, hinge-side down.
• Once the clams have opened fully, turn them over so the meat is in contact with the griddle. (I find that some of the clams will fall out of the shells, so I remove the shells to the serving plate, giving me more room on the griddle).
• Heat for 1 minute, until lightly browned.
• Arrange on a warmed serving plate, drizzle on a little more oil and any juices remaining on the griddle.
• Repeat for any remaining clams.
• Serve with lemon wedges if desired.

SHRIMP AND CLAMS A LA PLANCHA

Steps:

• Melt butter with oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until soft and translucent, about 1 minute. Add shrimp and thyme. Season with salt and pepper; cook until shells change color and start to peel away from shrimp, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer shrimp to a plate.
• Add sherry to skillet; increase heat to medium-high. Bring to a boil and cook until reduced by half, 1 minute. Add clams. Cover with a lid or foil and cook until clams open, about 5 minutes. Discard any unopened clams. Return shrimp to skillet just to reheat. Serve, with beans and some of their broth, a drizzle of oil, pepper, romesco, and greens.

RAZOR CLAMS OREGON STYLE

Steps:

• Drizzle lime juice on clams, dip in buttermilk, dredge in Panko.
• Refrigerate about 10 minute to set breading.
• In a pan large enough to hold clams without them touching, heat oil and butter on medium-high until foaming stops.
• Salt and pepper clams to taste and saute until golden, about 1 minute on each side.
• Drain.

SCALLOPS A LA PLANCHA

Steps:

• Toss the scallops and the garlic on a plate and drizzle with the oil and vinegar; sprinkle with salt and pepper and turn over a couple of times. Go about your business for 5 minutes.
• Preheat a large skillet, preferably nonstick, over high heat. When the skillet smokes-this will take a couple of minutes-add the scallops (leave the liquid behind), not all at once. By the time you've added the last scallop, the first one will probably be browned on one side, so begin turning them. Cook until brown on both sides but still rare in the center. (You must work more quickly with bay scallops-add them a few at a time and turn them quickly; you may even have to work in batches to keep them from overcooking.)
• Serve, drizzled with the juices from the plate and garnished with the parsley.
• Variations
• Shrimp or Squid a la Plancha: This technique works perfectly with both shrimp and squid. Keep the cooking time especially short for squid or it will get tough.
• Another option is to vary the kind of oil, vinegar, seasoning, and garnish as you like. For example, use peanut oil with scallions and peeled fresh ginger, then garnish with a drizzle of soy sauce or fresh cilantro for a completely different take.
• Scallops
• A word about buying scallops: Many are dipped in a chemical solution to prolong their shelf life. Not coincidentally, this soaking causes them to absorb water, which increases their weight and-water being cheaper than scallops-decreases their value. Furthermore, the added water makes browning more difficult. You can recognize processed scallops by their stark white color; in addition, they are usually sitting in liquid at the store. Buy dry, beige (or slightly pink or orange) scallops from a reliable fishmonger and you won't have a problem.
• Many cooks remove the tough little hinge present on one side of most scallops before cooking. But when you're stuffing scallops, leave it on and cut from the side directly opposite. The hinge will then serve the purpose of holding the scallop together and can be removed at the table or eaten; it's slightly tough, but not unpleasant.