the “vongole” season is in full swing in Italy

In Italy, to eat meat the days before Christmas is an absolute lack of taste. It is the season of “vongole”, which is called clams in France. 60,000 tonnes of these crustaceans are consumed each year. Fishermen like to keep their sites secret. In the net which rises from the sandy bottoms of the Adriatic Sea, during the visit of the France Televisions teams, thousands of clams. The species is abundant, among other things because fishing is very regulated.

When they are less than 2 cm, the hulls return to sea, so as not to interrupt the reproduction cycle. The others are put in 10 kg bags. In the fortieth bag, the fishermen pack up: the quota has been reached. In the early morning, the boat arrives at the port of Fano (Italy). Giant warehouses process millions of hulls, which have to be sorted, conditioned and shipped. During the holiday season, it’s a race against the clock, especially since clams must be eaten fresh. In the kitchen, you have to turn up the heat and cover so that the hulls open. Advice from chef Elide Pastrani? Let them bathe in water and salt.