At the turn of spring and summer, the sea breeze in Lianyungang carries a salty flavor.
This city, which relies on the sea to exist, has a 196-kilometer-long coastline and 1.6 million acres of tidal flats, which support a large number of plump and delicious shellfish.
Clams, clams, razor clams...the variety of shellfish alone can dazzle people.
However, those experienced food lovers know that the most troublesome thing when eating shellfish is not the selection, but the cleaning, especially the fine sand that is not easily found in the meat. If it is not completely spit out, it will make a crisp sound once bitten. Even if the seafood is originally extremely delicious, it will make people lose interest because of this moment.
In fact, it's not that difficult to make clams spit out sand obediently. The key is to use the right method.
Why do shellfish never spit out the sediment?
To solve the problem of sand spitting, we must first understand how the sand gets in.
Most shellfish are filter feeders, which rely on filtering tiny plankton and organic debris in the seawater to survive.
During the filtration process, sediment and impurities in the seawater will also be sucked into the body.
Especially shellfish such as clams and clams that bury themselves in the mud of tidal flats or ponds. If they live in a muddy bottom environment for a long time, some fine sand will inevitably accumulate in their bodies.
Although they have a self-purification mechanism, shellfish that are disturbed during fishing, transportation, and temporary cultivation will tightly close their shells and "lock" the sediment in their bodies.
If the fine sand is added directly to the pot without professional treatment, it will be mixed in the soup, thus affecting the taste of the entire dish.
The most worry-free method of leaving salt water alone
If you want shellfish to take the initiative to spit out sand, you have to simulate the living environment they are most familiar with.
The easiest way to do it at home is to prepare a pot Light salt water .
The ratio is roughly 500 ml of clean water and 15 grams of table salt. The concentration formed is similar to that of sea water. When the shellfish senses the familiar water environment, it will naturally open its shell and slowly spit out the sediment in its body.
Place the cleaned shellfish in and let it sit for one to two hours. During this process, it is best to change the water once to keep the water clean.
Although this method takes a little longer, it is very reliable and is particularly suitable for leisurely preparing a seafood dinner at home on weekends.
It should be noted that if the shellfish you buy are freshwater shellfish, such as clams, you can just soak them directly in clean water without adding salt.
5 minutes quick shaking and spitting method
If you have a temporary desire to eat but don't want to wait too long, you can try a physical method with a "violent" nature.
Prepare two pots of similar size in advance. Place the shellfish into one of the pots, add appropriate amount of water, and then place the other pot upside down. Hold it firmly with both hands and shake vigorously in the up, down, left, and right directions for about 1 minute.
Open it and take a look. The water must have become turbid by now. Pour out the dirty water, and then repeat this operation. You can usually see significant results after three to five times.
The key point of this method is that the shellfish are frightened by vibration, and the shellfish will shrink its shell based on instinct, and then "squeeze" the sediment and water out of the body.
When shaking, the intensity needs to be controlled just right. Although the shells have a certain degree of hardness, there is still the possibility of cracking if excessive force is used, especially those with relatively thin shells.
Add some "stuff" to spit out the sand more thoroughly
On top of soaking in salt water, add a few drops edible oil or sesame oil , the effect will be better.
The oil will form a thin oil film on the water surface. This oil film can isolate the air. In order to breathe smoothly, the shellfish will open and close its shell faster, and then spit out sand more frequently.
Generally, soaking for 20 to 30 minutes is enough.
If you plan to take both sterilization and fishy smell into consideration, you can replace the cooking oil with high-strength white wine, pour a bottle of white wine like Erguotou into the salt water, soak for fifteen minutes, and then gently shake it with your hand to clean. The stimulating properties of alcohol cause the shellfish to quickly open their shells, and at the same time, part of the fishy smell can be removed.
However, it should be noted that shellfish with added oil or white wine should be cooked immediately after spitting and are not suitable for storage in a refrigerated environment, otherwise the taste will be affected.
An emergency option for blanching to remove sand
Occasionally, when time is really tight, or when you are preparing to stir-fry or make soup, you can also use blanching.
Add cold water to the pot, put the washed shellfish in, turn on medium to low heat and heat slowly. As the water temperature gradually rises, the shellfish will gradually open their shells. When most of them have opened their shells, take them out immediately and rinse them under running water to rinse away the remaining sediment in the shells.
Although this method is fast, it will cause some of the seafood's own flavor and juice to be lost. It is an "emergency plan".
If you want to retain a deeper umami flavor, you can try a combination of starch and sesame oil. Place the shellfish in a sealed container, sprinkle some starch, add a few drops of sesame oil, cover and shake for a few minutes, then soak and rinse. The friction of the starch can remove mucus on the surface, and the sesame oil can assist in spitting out sand, and the effect is also very good.
Professional purification is more worry-free
In fact, in seafood markets, many large-scale farmed shellfish undergo professional purification before being put on the market.
Farmers will temporarily raise shellfish and place them in artificially simulated, clean seas for a period of time. During this period, the circulating water system will be used to allow the shellfish to naturally spit out sand in a quiet state. At the same time, the discharged pollutants will be separated in a timely manner.
Shellfish that have been treated in this way can be put into the pot after being simply rinsed when purchased at home, which is both clean and trouble-free.
If you go to the local seafood market in Lianyungang to buy, you can pay attention to whether the merchants have "purified shellfish" signs, or you can ask the stall owner directly. Many merchants engaged in wholesale have special temporary breeding tanks.
After all, the key to asking shellfish to spit out all the sand is to create a comfortable and soothing environment for them, or to use some external stimulation to prompt them to actively open their shells.
Whether it is in a static soaking state or a quick shaking action, as long as the method is used correctly, you can easily get things done even at home.
Taking advantage of the season when the seafood in Lianyungang is at its most plump, go to the aquatic product market and pick up a few kilograms of clams. Use these tips to handle them cleanly. Whether you use stir-frying or making soup, you can eat with peace of mind and satisfaction.
After all, for those of us who love seafood, a bite of clam meat without any sand is the kind of satisfaction that can bring the most solid feeling this summer.
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