Serves 12
Ingredients
Razor clams
12 razor clams
Water
Salt
Razor clam jelly
200ml razor clam juice
0.8g xantane gum
Thai jelly
4kg chicken breast, cut into pieces
40g olive oil
10 garlic cloves, peeled
300g carrots
400g leek
120g ginger
10 kaffir lime leaves
8 lemongrass stalks
12 black peppercorns
10l mineral water
75g soy sauce, aged for 3 years
Limes, cut into slices
11⁄2 gelatin leaves
Toserve
Black pepper, ground
1 fresh lime, zest
Jang vinegar
Fresh sea lettuce
Rock salt
Razor clam shells
Method
Razor clams
Place the fresh razor clams in cold, salted water and in a vertical position, taking care not to remove the elastic, which keeps their shells closed. This will keep them fresher for longer. Allow them to sit in the salt water for at least 4 hours in orderto purge the sand from their shells. Wash away the seawater and pat dry. Select razors clams of similar sizes and place them into a vacuum seal bag, ensuring there are only four per bag positioned in the same direction, with a spoon of seawater in each bag. Vacuum seal and cook in a water bath for approx. 2 minutes, depending on the size, then quickly plunge into ice water and allow to rest for approx. 20 minutes. Next,remove the razor clams from the bags, taking care to reserve the juices. carefully remove the razor clams from their shells. Clean the shells and set aside for serving. Lightly cut the razor clam to remove its mouth, then cut it into 3 pieces: head, muscle and intestine. Keep in the fridge until required.
Razor clam jelly
Taste the juice reserved from the razor clams and adjust the seasoning accordingly. Add the xantane gum and mix with a blender. Keep in a pastry pocket in the fridge and allow to set into a jelly until required.
Thai jelly
Fry the chicken pieces with the olive oil in a pot over a medium heat until goldenin colour. Remove the chicken, set aside and place the rest of ingredients into the same pot, starting with the garlic, followed by the carrots, leeks, ginger, kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass. Return the chicken to the pot and add the peppercorns and mineral water. Let it reduce to 6 litres. season with the soy sauce. Pass through a thin chinois and clarify. place the broth in the pot and bring back to boiling point. Adjust the taste by adding more lemongrass, limes wedges, kaffir lime leaves and ginger and thenpass through a fine chinois. Measure out 250ml of broth and add the gelatin leaves. place in the fridge to set. Once set, break the thai jelly into rod-shaped pieces and keep in the fridge until required.
Toserve
Cover a plate with rock salt. Then place the razor clam shell on top of the salt, positioning it according to the image. Break up the thai jelly and place it inside the razor clam shell. top the thai jelly with the razor clams. Cover the razor clam with the razor clam jelly andseason with black pepper and lime zest. Top with three pieces of fresh sea lettuce andseason with six drops of jang vinegar and serve straight away. The shell are to be used as a spoon.
