Shellfish

In the case of mollusks, the most common are bivalves, species whose body is protected by two shells that remain closed to protect the animal. Within this subgroup we can include the chirla, the cockle, the scallop the coquina, the mussel, the oyster, the clam and the scallop. Most of these bivalves, by regulation, once caught, must spend a few hours in salt water tanks with strong current so that through their filtration system they are cleaned of any contaminants in their digestive system. Another subgroup is the gastropods, which are mollusks with a single shell, such as the pintail and the periwinkle.

Clam

Clam

The Clam is a mollusk whose habitat is on soft bottoms of fine sand or silt. It is basically located on the coastal strip buried between 5 cm and 30 cm centimeters of the aforementioned sandy and muddy soils and its habitat can be extended to estuaries. and estuaries that support less salty waters. Due to their demand, they are generally cultivated when they are embryos, the most common species that can be found at our stop are the fine clam, the slimy clam of national origin and the French clam. The most widespread trade in it is the farmed clam called The japonica, which is easier to grow than the fine clam and at the same time is more resistant, all of them are of excellent quality and some of them differ in their size.

The clam is a high-protein product, which provides zero calories and is very rich, especially in iron, in addition to providing a significant level of iodine and a very important level of potassium.

The clam can be eaten raw, alive, with a splash of lemon in the case of the large Galician clam and to taste its flavor in a more intense way grilled or panned with hardly any oil and covered to concentrate the heat and can be opened. Another way to cook them is to steam them without adding water and open them with the water they release over medium heat and consume them when they are already open (in all cases you have to discard those that do not open) and they can also be cooked at the marinera and as an accompaniment to different fish stews.

GASTEROPODS

Periwinkles

Periwinkles

The Periwinkles is a gastropod mollusk that lives on rocks, especially in areas near the mouths of rivers. Its dark gray or black shell is shaped like an oval spiral and ends in a point. Its consumption is basically spread throughout the country. the northern area and the Mediterranean and especially the Cantabrian area, its contribution to gastronomy, especially in appetizers, comes from its easy preparation and cooking.

From a nutritional point of view, it is a low-calorie mollusk that is very rich in vitamins A and C, in addition to group B, and an important contribution of minerals such as iron, potassium, phosphorus and magnesium. Like other mollusks in which haute cuisine has incorporated them into different recipes.

Their most traditional way of eating is cooked and then cooled. It is important to first run them under a stream of cold water to clean them and leave them in a container with water and salt for half an hour to eliminate any possible sand they may have before boiling them.