Fresh Clams Steamed With Garlic

Clams, shelled: plump oval meats in pale cream and gold, each with a soft white body and a short dark siphon at one end. They are shown piled in a white bowl on a bench by a window with a small sieve alongside, again in a black bowl dressed with chopped garlic and spring onion, and again in a white bowl on a dark wooden table.

The meat is sweet and tender and takes on whatever it is cooked with. Steam them with garlic and a splash of wine, stir-fry them briefly, or drop them into a soup at the end of cooking.

• Shelled, plump oval meats
• Pale cream and gold with a dark siphon
• Sweet and tender
• Steam with garlic, or brief stir-fry

Keep frozen at -18°C or below. Thaw in the refrigerator and cook thoroughly before eating.