technique is to wedge the blade of a small,
strong knife between the shells near the hinge,
then cut through the elastic ligament. Then
run the knife along the inner surface of one
shell to sever the adductor muscle(s) (clams
and mussels have two, oysters and scallops
one). Remove the loose shell, and cut the
other end of the adductor(s) to free the body
from the remaining shell.
Heat causes the adductor muscle to relax,
which is why mollusc shells open during
cooking. Shells that don’t open may not
contain a live animal and should be discarded.
Abalone There are about 100 species in the
abalone genus Haliotis; they have a single
low-slung shell, and the largest grow to 12
in/30 cm and 8 lb/4 kg. In the United States,
the red abalone, Haliotis rufescens, is now
farmed in offshore cages and onshore tanks,
reaching 3.5 in/9 cm across and yielding 0.25
lb/100g meat in about three years. Abalone