Carrasqueira Razor Clam Rice

Carrasqueira razor clam rice is made with the broth from opening the shellfish, tomato and coriander. The rice should reach the table brothy, with enough liquid to coat it, and the razor clams are added near the end so they do not become tough.

A Carrasqueira collection

The Alentejo Gastronomic Charter records this recipe from Carrasqueira, in the Alentejo Litoral, in an interview with Josélia Carvalho. She learned how to prepare it from her mother, who made the razor clams with pasta; Josélia began preparing them with rice. The collection identifies the dish as a year-round recipe and recommends that it remain «brothy».

Estimated yield: 4 people
Approximate time: 45 to 55 minutes

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg live razor clams, purchased already purged
• 300 g Carolino rice
• 1 medium onion, about 150 g
• 350 g ripe tomato, peeled and chopped
• 40 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 15 g fresh coriander, chopped
• 500 ml water for opening the razor clams
• Hot water to bring the broth up to 1.2 l, plus a little more if necessary
• Salt, only after tasting the broth

Step-by-step preparation

1. Check and wash the razor clams.
   Keep the razor clams refrigerated until preparation and follow the supplier’s instructions. Discard any with cracked shells or that show no signs of life and do not react to touch. Wash the shells in cold water to remove surface sand. Use shellfish that has already been purged; do not collect or prepare specimens of unknown origin.
2. Open the shellfish and reserve the broth.
   Bring the 500 ml of water to the boil in a wide pan. Add the razor clams, cover and leave them to open for about 3 to 5 minutes, carefully shaking the pan. Remove them as they open, so as not to prolong the cooking. Discard any that remain closed. Reserve all the liquid from the pan.
3. Remove from the shells and filter.
   When you can handle the shellfish, remove the meat from the shells and cut it into pieces about 2 to 3 cm long. Cover and reserve. Pass the broth through a fine strainer lined with a clean food-safe cloth to retain the sand. Taste it: if it is salty, dilute it with water. Add hot water until you have 1.2 l of liquid and keep it hot.
4. Prepare the sofrito.
   Chop the onion. Heat the olive oil in a wide saucepan and let the onion soften for about 5 minutes over medium heat, without browning. Add the tomato and cook for another 8 to 10 minutes, stirring, until soft and some of the water has evaporated. Add the hot broth and bring to the boil.
5. Cook the rice.
   Add the 300 g of rice to the boiling broth, stir and reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered for about 15 to 18 minutes, depending on the rice, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking. Start tasting after 14 minutes. The grains should be tender without falling apart. If the broth reduces too much, add hot water in small amounts, keeping the rice loose and brothy.
6. Add the razor clams and coriander.
   When the rice has about 1 to 2 minutes left to cook, add the reserved razor clams and gently fold them through, just to heat them. Taste before adding salt. Turn off the heat and add the chopped coriander. The rice should be more liquid in the pan than you want it when served, as it continues to absorb liquid after being removed from the heat.
7. Serve immediately.
   Divide between deep plates or bring the pan to the table. Do not leave it to stand for several minutes: the rice will lose broth and the shellfish will become firmer. Serve freshly made.

The secret is in the broth

Reserve and filter the liquid from opening the razor clams: it is the foundation of the rice’s flavour. Taste it before salting and adjust with water if it is concentrated. Add the shellfish after it has opened only at the end, to avoid a second long cooking.

Wine and olive oil at the table

To accompany it, we recommend EA Branco 2025 – Alentejano Regional Wine, served chilled.

Prepare the sofrito with Galega Single-Variety Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 500 ml. Use 40 ml for the onion and tomato.

Advance preparation and storage

You can prepare the onion and tomato before you begin. Cook the rice close to mealtime so that you can serve it brothy. If you open the razor clams in advance, cool the meat and broth quickly and store them separately, covered, in the refrigerator; reheat the broth before cooking the rice. Refrigerate any leftovers promptly and reheat only the amount you are going to eat, until thoroughly hot. Reheated rice loses some of its texture and needs a little water to restore the broth.

More flavours of the Alentejo

Also discover our Alentejo-style dogfish soup.

Source and adaptations

Alentejo Gastronomic Charter (2013), p. 981, «Razor Clam Rice», Carrasqueira. Interview with Josélia Carvalho, by Inês Olaio Marques, ADL, in 2012.

Recipe collected in the Alentejo, adapted by Herdade do Estacal for the blog «À Mesa com o Alentejo». We kept the opening of the razor clams, use of the broth, the onion and tomato sofrito, and the final addition of the shellfish and coriander. The source does not specify quantities: we established measurements for four people, Carolino rice and 40 ml of olive oil for the sofrito. Filtering the broth and the timings given are guidelines for this adaptation. Yield and durations are estimates.