To cook shellfish

He cooks all the shellfish in our household, and turns it into a bit of a production. I might add. First, he seeks out live clams or mussels, kept in sea water, then he chooses clean-looking shells, so he doesn’t have to scrub them, then he soaks them, changing the water diligently, and then he cooks them with such care and intimacy that he virtually names each one as it comes out of the cooking broth. His reward, apart from that of absolute freshness? I adore him.