Come out of your shell: Yotam Ottolenghi’s recipes for mussels, clams and oysters — theguardian.com

With the holidays less than two weeks away, your thoughts are probably turning to family, friends and feasting. Either that, or you’re planning on escaping it all by jetting off to sunnier climes. But even if your dreams of flight can’t be realised, dinner is a great way to transport you abroad. Clams, mussels and oysters are particularly good for this. These trusty bivalves make perfect sense in all manner of cuisines, and can take you just about wherever you fancy. If you want nothing more than a hop across the Channel, a classic moules marinières, with its butter-softened shallots, thyme and bay, plus some white wine or dry cider, will do the trick. Or head down to the south-east of France, and bake your mussels Provence-style, with a scattering of parsley, gruyère and breadcrumbs on top. While you’re down here, bouillabaisse, the classic Provençal fish stew, or Spanish paella will sate anyone wanting something a bit more substantial and warming from their mussels, with saffron and chilli providing the golden glow all sun-lovers crave. Spaghetti alle vongole – spaghetti with clams simply cooked with chilli, garlic and parsley – will take you over to Italy.

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