Chilled Clam Cream with Yuzu or Sudachi

Yuzu is a citrus fruit originating from East Asia, blending the acidic notes of grapefruit and green mandarin.

Ingredients for 6 people:

• 500 g of clams,
• 50 g of sliced onion,
• 15 g of sliced celery,
• 1 sprig of parsley, crushed or roughly chopped,
• 25 g of butter,
• 25 g of white wine,
• 1 litre of chicken stock,
• 1 sprig of thyme,
• 1 bay leaf,
• 25 g of rice flour,
• 100 g of milk,
• Salt and pepper,
• 50 g of crème fraîche,
• 30 g of peeled and deseeded tomatoes, cut into 5 mm pieces,
• 12 g of chopped chives,
• 50 ml of yuzu juice or sudachi juice.

Preparation of the chilled clam cream

1. Place the onions, celery, parsley, and butter in a saucepan. Sauté them gently over a low heat, avoiding any colouring. Add the clams and continue cooking, then deglaze with the wine and cover with the chicken stock.

2. Continue cooking, then add the thyme and bay leaf. Bring to the boil. When the clams open fully, remove from the heat and separate the broth from the clams. Strain the broth and set aside in a bowl.

3. Remove the clams from their shells and soak them in a bowl with a little of the previously made broth.

4. Gently dissolve the rice flour in the milk, being very careful to avoid any lumps.

5. Heat the strained broth over a low heat and add the milk and rice flour mixture.

6. Cook over a low heat for 15 minutes, stirring continuously. The floury texture should disappear, giving way to a smooth, velvety consistency. Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper.

7. Strain the resulting velouté. Place it in a bowl and cool it down over an ice-water bath.

8. Before serving, stir in the crème fraîche and the yuzu or sudachi juice and mix well.

9. Pour into the bowls and garnish with the clam meat, crushed tomato, and chopped chives.