Whether you are at the beach or in the city, there is nothing better than a good dish with seafood to enjoy your vacation or to get a taste of what awaits you. Cannolicchi in sauce for a pasta, sauté of clams and mussels or scallops au gratin, the taste of seafood is always very intense and appreciated. But how can these delicious ingredients be cleaned and prepared? Here are some tips.

Scallop

It is also called Conchiglia di San Giacomo, is formed by a white body called walnut and a red part, called coral and has a whitish shell. It is usually sold already half open and partially cleaned from sand. If it is still closed, open it with the help of a small knife, remove all the fleshy parts and clean them from the darker filaments and sand. The scallop can be prepared raw, marinated in oil and lemon, fried or au gratin. It has soft flesh and a slightly sweet taste. It cooks in a short time because excessive heat makes it hard and stringy. The best time to consume it is from May to August but it is available throughout the year. You can prepare a filling with breadcrumbs, garlic, salt, oil and parsley, cover the scallop with this mixture and brown it for 10 minutes at 180 °.

Mussels

They are also called mussels, they have an elongated triangular shell of a bluish-black color, while the fruit inside can be of a bright orange or whitish. They live attached to rocks and are among the most used shellfish in the kitchen. Cleaning them is easy, you need to remove the beards, the byssus and all the mud that often remains attached to the shell, to prevent it from melting during preparation. They can be opened with a small knife or in contact with heat in a saucepan. They always release their liquid which must be filtered and then used to give more flavor to the dishes. All those that do not open during cooking must be eliminated because they are damaged. They are used for sauces, soups, are made au gratin or stuffed.

Clams

There are two types: normal and true, larger and tastier. They are bivalve molluscs that live in the sandy bottoms and for this they must be cleaned with care. They should be left to drain in water and salt and then rinse before cooking. The shells are light gray, the fruit is well attached to the shells. They have a delicate and tasty taste at the same time. The most popular dish is spaghetti with clams but can be tasted in sauté or in fish soups. It is necessary to make them open in a pot without seasonings and then filter their very tasty cooking liquid. Before salting them taste them, they are often savory at the right point and do not need any more salt.

razor

They have a shell in the form of an elongated tube, which can reach 15 cm. The razor clams live sunken in the sand and for this they must be cleaned very well. At one end they have a dark-colored bag that is often full of sand and must be removed. To check that they are alive, touch them and the shell should close immediately. In the kitchen they are eaten grilled, in soup, au gratin or in spaghetti sauce.

fasolari

The fasolari have a smooth shell of dark color, brick red, even 10 cm wide. They must be bought alive like all shellfish and left to drain in water and salt. They are cooked like clams or in soup, with tomato and garlic. They can also be eaten raw, seasoned only with oil and lemon.

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