Simon Rhodes from Lobsster Pot  Fishmonger, Wood Street Foodhall

THESE little bi valve molluscs come in a variety of sizes and range from the palourdes also known as manilla clams, to the American hard shell clam, which is a large clam with a thick heavy shell.

Other varieties include the amandes, surf and the razor clam, also known as the atlantic jackknife. Treat the clams exactly like mussels in that they should be sold live and should close when tapped or run under cold water. We have found that the most popular and versatile clam is the palourdes. These are excellent for dishes such as spaghetti alla vongole.

This is a very simple dish originating from Italy where the clams are steamed in white wine, garlic and a little chilli and then married with the cooked spaghetti and garnished with chopped parsley. Some chefs use chopped tomatoes and fresh herbs with this dish also.

Palourdes are great with a fillet of turbot. Turbot is an amazing flat fish with a sweet, delicate flesh. The fillet should be steamed or pan fried and accompanied with a clam sauce. The sauce is made by reducing some white wine in a pan by about 2/3rds then add some fish stock and again reduce, then add the clams and steam until they open and cook for 1-2 minutes. Cold butter is then added and stirred into the sauce. Garnish with finely chopped parsley or some tarragon.

I am off to France next week and so looking forward to exploring the fish stalls and recipes adorning the Normandy coast. With such inspiration I trawled the internet for a dish that would be easy to cook and bring out the best in french cuisine. So here is Marseilles style spicy clams and mussels.

In a flat pan, gently fry some fine chopped shallots, garlic, fennel, and chilli flakes in some good quality olive oil until soft. Then add some halved sweet cherry tomatoes and saute for about 3 minutes. Then add a good splash of Pernod or pastis and some white wine and reduce. The pastis will give the dish a slight aniseed flavour. Then add a few strands of saffron and stir in a handful of clams and mussels. Cover the pan and steam for a couple of minutes until the shellfish is cooked. Toss in some chervill and serve. Are there any takers out there to give this dish a go?

Razor clams have proved popular recently too at the Lobster Pot. I first tried these at a restaurant called St John’s in Smithfield some seven years ago. This fantastic place specialises in offal and it is not unusual to see razor clams on the menu. Served in a garlic and parsley butter, this dish was an absolute delight. Simply cooked and with a texture a little like scallops and served with a herby garlic butter, I could see how these clams continue to be a favourite amongst shellfish lovers.

So the morale of the story is don’t clam up, give us a ‘nudge’ and speak to us about ordering some wonderful clams. And remember - Keep clam and eat shellfish!