HOW TO: Clean Razor Clams + Razor Clams with Roasted Pepper Confetti

After a full afternoon, I swung into Whole Foods and found some razor clams. What do I do with them? I asked the fish monger. "Ummmm...I don't know," he admitted. "I know you have to clean them." Great. Thank goodness for the internet.

How to Clean Them...

Step One: Place razor clams in a large bowl and pour hot water over them. Let them soak till the shells open. Pull the meat from the shells.

Step Two: Trim off the dark end of the siphon tube and cut open the clam from one end to the other. Lay the clam flat and snip around the gills, mouth, and digger. It should look like this.

Step Three: Snip around the dark stomach and remove any other veins and grit you might find. Once you've cleaned the clam, chop it into bite-sized pieces. Now you're ready to cook it!

Ingredients serves 4

• 4 razor clams, cleaned and prepped as described above
• 2 T butter
• splash of olive oil
• 1 T minced garlic
• 1 t minced lemongrass
• 1 t minced chili peppers
• 1 t minced ginger
• 1 T fresh chopped parsley
• 1 T fresh chopped cilantro
• 1 T fresh chopped oregano + a few leaves for garnish
• 1 C beer (I used a spiced ale)
• 4 roasted bell peppers, cut into bite-sized pieces

Procedure
In a large, flat-bottom pan, melt butter in a splash of olive oil. Add in the garlic, lemongrass, chili peppers, and ginger. Cook till the garlic begins to brown. Add in the clams and cook for one minute. Add in the herbs and the beer. Cook for four more minutes, stirring occassionally. To serve, fold the peppers into the clam mixture. Garnish with fresh oregano. Serve hot.