Soft-shell clam

Mye

What it is

Its shell is too small for the animal: the siphon stays permanently outside, the two valves never meet, and you cannot judge it open or shut the way you judge every other bivalve on the stall. Shell fragments dated to the thirteenth century place it in Europe long before Columbus, which is why some archaeologists credit Norse ships with carrying it back across the Atlantic.

In the kitchen

Purge them four hours in cold water salted to 20 g per litre; short of that, every mouthful grinds with sand. Then steam them open and peel the black skin off each siphon before serving — it is leathery, and no amount of cooking softens it.

Goes with

Butter Garlic Parsley White wine vinegar Lemon Potato Cream Thyme

In season alongside

Clam Razor clam Spider crab Wedge clam Brill Arctic char

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