Razor clams with crisp pork belly, fennel and ginger
Surf and turf with a difference! Juicy razor clams are the perfect match for crisp pork belly.
Ingredients
For the pork belly
- 500g/1lb 2oz piece rindless pork belly
- 2 tbsp salt
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- ¼ bunch fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ tsp peppercorns
- 1 litre/1¾ pints duck fat
For the razor clams
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 fennel bulb, diced, trimmings and green fronds removed, chopped and reserved
- 4 spring onions, diced, tops chopped and reserved
- 5cm/2in piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 100ml/3½fl oz vermouth
- 100ml/3½fl oz white wine vinegar
- 100ml/3½fl oz double cream
- 50g/1¾oz butter
- 250ml/9fl oz white wine
- 6 razor clams, cleaned
- 2 tbsp panko crumbs
- 2 tbsp finely grated Parmesan
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
To make the pork belly, sprinkle the pork with the salt, cover with cling film and place in the fridge overnight.
The next day, dust off the salt and place the pork into a large saucepan. Add the coriander seeds, thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns and duck fat. Gently heat and poach the pork over a low heat for 2 hours.
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and fry the fennel, spring onions and ginger over a medium heat for 10 minutes, until soft. Add the vermouth and vinegar, bring to the boil and reduce the volume of the liquid by half. Add the cream and reduce again by half. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir in the fennel fronds. Keep warm.
To cook the clams, discard any clams with broken shells and any that refuse to close when tapped. Heat the butter in a lidded saucepan over a low heat. Add the wine, turn up the heat and bring to the boil. Add the clams and simmer with the lid on for 5 minutes, or until cooked through. Discard any that remain closed. Remove from the shell, discard the stomach and chop the flesh into small pieces.
Strain the cooking liquor and reduce by three quarters. Add to the vegetable and cream mixture, along with the clam meat.
Preheat the grill to high.
Slice the pork belly and crisp up 6 slices in a frying pan over a high heat.
Fill the clam shells with the vegetable and clam mixture, sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and Parmesan and grill for a couple of minutes until golden-brown. Serve with the pork.
