Razor Clams in Butter Sauce

° Serves 4 as a first course

Of all the clams—littlenecks, cherrystones, quahogs, soft-shell, geoduck—razor clams are one of the most tender, delicious, and underutilized. The East Coast razor clam is slightly curved, about 6 inches long and ¾ inch wide, while the West Coast clam is shorter, straighter, and wider. Razor clam shells are very brittle and sharp, and they are open, exposing the meat. I wash them and then soak them in cold water a couple of times to remove sand before using. Their thick, heavy flesh is very tender and plump, excellent raw or cooked in chowder or baked in the oven, as in this recipe. Five clams per person makes a generous first course.

• 20 razor clams (about 2 pounds)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• Sauce
• 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons Chinese garlic-chili sauce or Sriracha or other hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Soak the clams in cold water for 15 minutes. Drain and rinse, then soak them in fresh water for another 15 minutes.

Run a small knife under and along the inside of one shell of each clam to push the meat to the other shell. Run the knife through the hinge to remove the empty shell.

Arrange the clams on their bottom shells on a cookie sheet lined with nonstick aluminum foil. Sprinkle them with the salt, pepper, olive oil, and cheese. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes, until cooked through and hot.

Meanwhile, make the sauce: Mix together all the ingredients in a bowl.

Remove the clams from the oven and arrange 5 clams on each plate. Coat with the sauce and serve immediately.