ITALIAN RECIPES TRADITIONAL AND CREATIVE  The description and the Italian recipes of the molluscs
 The striped Venus clams (vongole): description and recipes
chamelea gallina 
Bivalve molluscs, widespread in the Mediterranean Sea, Caspian and East Atlantic can be found in sandy or muddy bottoms up to a depth of 15 meters. They are subdivided in “veraci” and common, depending from their size: the "veraci" are the greatest. On the market they are available both from hatchery or from sea, however more rare. The products from the ocean are cheaper but less tasty ,due to the lower water temperature, and more difficult to cleanse. It is possible to buy also frozen and canned, but we find that they lose their sea perfume, that is the essence of this food.  For cleansing they must be put into fresh and salted water for at least 2 hours, in this manner they spit all the sand out. Then, depending from the recipes, it will be possible to open them in a closed pot over high heat or add to sauces and dishes baked in foil. 
They must cooked for few time, anyway you like them the cooking time must be short (5 minutes) or they become rubbery, hard and insipid. Preserve always the water used for cooking: it is excellent for many recipes.
The Italian striped Venus clam recipes proposed by Italian Homemade Cooking see also      
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