Rick Stein’s Cornwall episode 26: Rick joins a team diving for razor clams, which he takes back to the kitchen to make a quick but tasty dish of grilled shangurro clams. At the end of Newlyn Pier, Rick visits a scruffy little hut that until recently played a huge part in determining the height of everything around us. And in the Penlee Museum, Rick is shown some of the beautiful items made a century ago by fishermen using Cornish copper and meets a metalworker who is bringing copperwork back to the town.
In this new series Rick Stein reveals the Cornwall that he knows and loves: a unique part of the British isles with a strong sense of identity and a history rooted in its Celtic past. With his famous natural inquisitiveness, Rick shares the road less travelled – championing the food, history, music, art and culture of the county many locals argue should be a country in its own right.
Rick Stein’s Cornwall episode 26
Rick Stein
Christopher Richard “Rick” Stein, CBE (born 4 January 1947) is an English celebrity chef, restaurateur and television presenter. Along with business partner (and first wife) Jill Stein he has run the Stein hotel and restaurant business in the UK. The business has a number of renowned restaurants, shops and hotels in Padstow along with other restaurants in Marlborough, Winchester and Barnes. He is also the head chef and a co-owner of “Rick Stein at Bannisters” at Mollymook and Port Stephens in Australia, with his second wife Sarah. He has written cookery books and presented television programmes.
After graduating, he converted a mobile disco in Padstow, which he had run as a student, into a quayside nightclub with his friend, Johnny. It became known for its freeze-dried curries. However, the nightclub lost its licence and was closed down by the police, mainly due to frequent brawls with local fishermen. The pair still had a licence for a restaurant in another part of the building, so they continued with that to avert bankruptcy.
Stein ran the kitchen using the experience he had gained as a commis chef. Eventually he converted it into a small harbour-side bistro, “The Seafood Restaurant”, with his first wife Jill in 1975. As of 2015, his business operates four restaurants, a bistro, a café, a seafood delicatessen, a pâtisserie shop, a gift shop and a cookery school. In 2007 threats against Stein’s businesses were made by Cornish nationalists. His impact on the economy of Padstow is such that it has been nicknamed “Padstein”.
Shangurro razor clams
This dish originates in the Basque Country of northern Spain, where it is usually made with crab. Shangurro razor clams are Rick Stein’s delicious take on the recipe, simple to make and perfect for a special dinner.
Method:
- Place the razor clams in a pan over a high heat, add the wine, cover with a lid and steam for about 3 minutes, until they open. Set aside to cool a little, then strain and reserve the cooking liquor. Remove the flesh from the shells and chop the white meat into 2cm/¾in pieces. Set aside. Put the shells on a baking tray.
- Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, add the onion and three-quarters of the chopped garlic. Fry over a gentle heat for 2 minutes, until softened. Increase the heat, add the tomatoes, any liquor from steaming the clams, the sugar, chilli flakes and some salt and pepper and simmer for about 4 minutes, until the mixture has reduced to a thick sauce. Stir in half the parsley and the chopped razor clam meat, then spoon the mixture into the razor clam shells.
- Preheat the grill to high.
- To make the seaweed salad, blanch the seaweed in boiling water for 4–5 minutes, drain and refresh in ice-cold water. Put the seaweed and some lettuce leaves into a bowl, add a splash of olive oil, soy sauce and red wine vinegar and mix together.
- Mix the breadcrumbs with the melted butter, the remaining parsley and garlic. Sprinkle over the shells and grill until the topping is crisp and golden.
- Serve the razor clams with crusty white bread and the seaweed salad.