Razor clams with jamón and cava vinaigrette and warm duck, pumpkin and pardina lentil salad
Earthy flavours abound in this Spanish autumnal dish that's perfect for a dinner for friends.
Ingredients
For the salad
- olive oil: olive oil, for shallow frying
- butter: knob of butter
- pumpkin: 700g/1lb 9oz pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and cut into small pieces
- lentils: 300g/10½oz Spanish pardina lentils
- cinnamon: ½ cinnamon stick
- garlic: 1 garlic clove, peeled
- chicken stock: 500ml/18fl oz chicken stock
- duck: 2 duck breasts, skin scored
- rocket: wild rocket or other peppery leaves
- parsley: handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
- black pepper: sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the dressing
- sherry vinegar: 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
- red wine vinegar: 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- Dijon mustard: 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- olive oil: 3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
For the razor clams
- clams: 24 small razor clams, washed under running water to remove any grit
- olive oil: olive oil, for shallow frying
- 75g/2½oz jamón, finely chopped
- shallot: 1 small shallot, finely chopped
- parsley: handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
- chives: small bunch chives, finely snipped
- cava: 2 tbsp cava
- lemon juice: good squeeze lemon juice
- olive oil: 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Method
Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7.
To make the salad, heat the oil and butter in a frying pan. Fry the pumpkin for 15–20 minutes, or until caramelised and tender. Set aside.
Meanwhile, put the lentils in a saucepan with the cinnamon, garlic and stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain and discard the cinnamon and garlic.
While the lentils cook, season the duck with plenty of salt and pepper and put in an ovenproof pan skin-side down, over a low heat. Cook slowly until the fat has rendered out of the skin and the duck is golden and crisp.
Turn over the breasts and cook in the oven for 6–8 minutes, or until cooked but still pink in the centre. Set aside to rest.
To make the dressing, whisk together the vinegars and mustard with plenty of seasoning. Gradually whisk in the oil to form a glossy dressing.
Slice the duck and add any juices to the dressing.
Toss the lentils and pumpkin together. Pour the dressing over the lentils and mix in the rocket and parsley.
Put a large, lidded saucepan over a high heat. Discard any clams that do not close tightly when tapped. Add the remaining clams to the pan with a splash of water and cover. Cook, shaking the pan, for 30 seconds, or until they have opened; discard any that fail to open. Allow them to cool slightly, then remove the meat from the shells.
Using a sharp knife, carefully cut away the digger (the bulbous dark bit at one end) and remove the central stomach sack and intestinal tract so you are left only with the sweet, firm white meat. Slice into pieces.
Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan and fry the jamón until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the fat in the pan.
Mix the shallot and herbs with the cava and lemon juice and season well. Whisk in the extra virgin olive oil.
Put the jamón pan back on the heat and fry the sliced clams in the fat until cooked through. Scatter the clams with the jamón and drizzle with the cava dressing.
Arrange the clams, duck and lentils on a large platter and serve.
