July 2005
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Summer Vegetables
by Celia Cheng
RAZOR CLAMS
petit pois peas, shitake mushrooms, chives & buckwheat
This is a delightful combination of razor clams (out of the shell), petit pois peas, shitake mushrooms, and chives over buckwheat that has been cooked in tomato water. Details like the tomato water as base and chives for added flavor are subtle yet significant for the flavoring of the dish as a whole. The petit pois are so fresh I couldn’t stop popping them in my mouth. In the past I had often thought of peas as just a side dish, but these peas really stole the show. Razor clams are a common dish in Chinese cuisine but usually always served in the shell. This dish has opened my eyes and imagination to the endless possibilities and combinations of cooking them without the shell. I am a fervent fan of buckwheat, which has a very particular taste, so needless to say the combination of all the ingredients worked really well together for my palate.
