Paris Journal 2014 – Barbara Joy Cooley Home: barbarajoycooley.com
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Razor
clams. We should all know more about
them. According to
Wikipedia, these shellfish are native to the North American coast from Canada
to South Carolina. They can be found
in Europe, too, and in northwestern Europe, they are now considered to be an
invasive exotic species. But in
Massachusetts, there are regulations about how many can be harvested; their
numbers must be protected. As a food,
they’re called “clam strips” in Massachusetts. I know from my
reading of various food blogs that razor clams also live in the Pacific Ocean
(a slightly different species from the Atlantic variety). On rare occasions, they can be found in
fish markets in Oregon and Washington.
They are also harvested and served in Malaysia and India. These clams are
named for the old fashioned kind of straight razor, the type whose blade
folded into a slot in the handle (also called a cut-throat razor or jackknife). Men can still get a straight razor shave in
Paris, by the way, at certain barber shops. In France,
razor clams are called couteaux,
which is simply the word for “knives.” Razor clams can
be found in the mud flats or estuaries.
They dig themselves down into the sand very quickly, but they do know
how to swim, too. You find them
by looking for keyhole-shaped openings in the sand. You pour salt on the opening. The clam then comes up for air, and you
pull it out of the sand. Clever scientists
have learned from razor clams. At MIT,
they studied this clam’s marvelous burrowing capability, and used it to
develop a way to keep cables anchored under water. Food blogs tell
me that American chefs like to remove the tube that encircles most of the
animal found inside the razor clam shell.
They also remove the gritty sack and intestinal string, just the way
we remove them from shrimp. French
chefs are more likely to leave the tube and sack in place. American chefs
like to put these clams in pasta or some other medium. At Le Café du Commerce last night, we had
razor clams served in their half-shell, cooked in butter and persillade,
just like we might do with mussels. Couteaux, or razor clams, have been on the daily
specials menu at Le Café du Commerce as a starter course for several days
now. If couteaux really are becoming a
nuisance as an invasive exotic in Europe, perhaps we will be seeing them on
the menu more often in Paris. The couteaux were
very good, but a lot of work for a little bit of food. They can be affected by red tide and other
harmful algal blooms, rendering them toxic for human consumption. Proceed with caution . . . . After consuming
the tasty couteaux
(taking care to remove the tube and grit first), Tom had a steak, which was
good by French standards, accompanied by potatoes au gratin and sautéed
mushrooms. He was also given a
generous side of Béarnaise sauce. He
was very happy with all that. I ordered the supreme de volaille,
a dish that Tom has enjoyed at the Commerce before. It was darned good! As usual, we
shared a baba au rhum. We always feel happy when we’ve eaten at Le
Café du Commerce. The place has plenty
of positive energy, it seems. Dining
there was a good way to begin the weekend.
Bon week end!
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Saturday, August 9, 2014
Yellow
rose at the Jardin du Moulin de la Vierge.
Couteaux, or razor clams, at
Le Café du Commerce.
Tom’s
rib steak with potatoes au gratin, sautéed mushrooms, and Béarnaise sauce.
Supreme de volaille on linguini. |
