Sweet, firm meat with a clean snap, packed as a 2 kg box for kitchens that serve it raw or barely cooked. Each piece is trimmed from the foot muscle, so there is nothing to clean before it hits the plate.

What It Is

The adductor muscle of the surf clam, sold shucked and trimmed. In the shell the mantle opens like a flower when heated, which is where the trade name comes from. The muscle itself is the part that eats well: dense, glossy, pale apricot to cream, and it holds a knife cut without fraying.

Where It Comes From

Wild stock from cold North Atlantic and North Pacific beds, landed and shucked at the processing plant within hours, then individually quick frozen in a single layer so the pieces stay separate.

Specifications

• 2 kg net weight per box, shucked meat only, no shell or liquor
• Grade: sashimi, pieces 25–40 g, 50–80 pieces per box
• Colour: pale apricot to cream, no grey or bruised edges
• Packed IQF, one piece per frozen unit, no block

State

Raw and frozen at −18 °C or colder. Not cooked, not brined, no additives and no water retention agents. Because it is frozen raw, it is ready for a quick blanch or a clean slice once thawed.

Storage and Thawing

• Keep at −18 °C or below; do not refreeze after thawing
• Thaw overnight in the refrigerator on a rack, covered
• Use within 24 hours of thawing, and keep it cold while you work

Shelf Life and Delivery

12 months from the production date printed on the box. Shipped frozen in an insulated liner with gel packs; check that the box is still hard and below −12 °C on arrival and move it straight to the freezer.

How to Cook

• Slice thin against the grain and serve chilled with ponzu and a little wasabi
• Blanch for 2–3 seconds in rolling water, then shock in ice water for a crisper bite
• Stir-fry over high heat with garlic, ginger and scallion, 90 seconds total
• Drop into a hot pot at the table and pull it out as soon as it curls

Allergens

Contains shellfish (clam). Packed in a facility that also handles fish and crustaceans.