Cleaning clams or mussels

Discard any shellfish with cracked or broken shells or shells that don’t close to the touch. Place the rest in a bowl of salt water (use ¾cup/6 oz/185 g salt per 4 quarts/4 l of water) for 10 minutes to purge any sand caught in the shells. If shells still feel gritty after the soaking, scrub them under cold running water with a stiff brush. Remove beards (little fibrous tufts) from mussel shells, if present, by cutting or scraping them away with a paring knife.