Razor Clam with Fragrant Soy Dipping Sauce

~Certain ingredients need only a minimal amount of effort in cooking. If you try to poach the clam in the traditional sense- no matter how short of a time it sits immersed in hot water, the clam will be rubbery and a waste of a perfectly good ingredient.  My mother taught me this technique of light poaching or reverse poaching, delicate shellfish. The same method can be applied to geoduck.  The key to successfully poaching the clam is thin slices. By slicing the clam thin enough, pouring boiling hot water over the clam is just enough to cook it without, overcooking.  The result is a slightly chewy crunch of the sea.  The flash sear of oil on soy sauce elevates the natural sweetness of the clam. As with most simple Chinese flavors, this dish is best served with steamed Jasmine rice.

Special Equipment:

3qt pot with a long handle

colander

Ingredients:

8 whole razor clams or 16oz razor clams

1 scallion

2 tbsp light soy sauce

4 tbsp vegetable or corn oil

2- 3qt of boiling water

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, place soy sauce. Slice scallion 4-5 parts across, shred thinly, and place on top of soy sauce. 
2. Place small pan on high heat and add oil. Heat oil for about 2-3min. Once oil begins to smoke, swirl the a few times pan to ensure the oil is heated evenly. Pour hot oil over scallions and soy sauce. Set aside. (This will create a bit of splatter so I would advise you to place the bowl in an empty sink to minimize the damage. Obviously, sauce bowl should be removed from sink after this step is completed.)
3. Fill a 3qt pot full of water and set to boil.
4. Using a sharply honed knife, gently slice clam away from shell. Slice down siphon lengthwise. Gently rinse the clam in cold water, of any extra sand or debris. Repeat with other clams.
5. One at a time, lay clam flat on cutting board. Start from the siphon and angle knife about less than 1 inch from surface to make as thin slices as possible. The softer body of the clam can be sliced thicker. Set aside and repeat with other clams.
6. Separate into two batches and place first batch into a colander. Spread clams evenly across bottom of colander so they are not clumped together.
7. Once water comes to boil, use one hand to hold colander over sink while other hand is holding pot of boiling water.
8. Slowly pour water over clams and toss clams about in colander to ensure that all clams pieces are being lightly poached evenly.
9. Shake off excess water and place poached clams onto serving plate.
10. Boil another pot of water and repeat with second batch of clams.
11. Serve with fragrant soy dipping sauce.