Arroz de Lingueirão – Authentic Razor Clam Rice

Directions

• Rinse the razor clams thoroughly, then inspect them one by one, discarding any dead, broken, or damaged shells you find. You can check if they are alive by gently tapping their skin, they should contract.
• Add the water to a large saucepan, place it over high heat, bring it to a boil. Quickly boil the shells till they pop open. It should take a minute, remove them from the water, reserving the liquid which will later be used to cook the rice.
• Remove the clams from the shells. Although many recipes we came across will recommend using the whole clam, we prefer to remove their stomach which might contain some grit and sand. If you do not mind it, you can skip this step. Their stomach is in a dark pouch in the middle of their body, and it should be easy to remove with a sharp knife. Rinse the cleaned clams to make sure there is no sand left. Cut them in half or if you prefer, leave them whole.
• Place a large saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, add the olive oil, onions, garlic, pepper and bay leaf. Cook everything for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the tomatoes, and a pinch of salt, let it cook for another 2 minutes.
• Meanwhile, strain the water used to cook the clams using a cloth or fine colander, then reheat it.
• Add the rice to the onion and pepper mixture. Braise it for 2 minutes, add the white wine, then the clam liquid. Season it with salt, black pepper, and turmeric powder, stir it then cover it with a lid. Reduce the heat to medium-low, let it simmer for about 20 minutes.
• Check if the rice is cooked, then add the clams and more water if needed. Let it simmer for another 5 minutes. Remove it from the heat, the dish should have a consistency similar to a risotto. Serve it with some roughly chopped cilantro and more freshly ground black pepper.