A great Portuguese seaside classic: clams just opened in olive oil, garlic, white wine, fresh cilantro, and lemon. Simple, fragrant, briny, and perfect for mopping up with bread.
Ingredients
- 1.2 kg fresh clams or amêijoas
- 2 tbsp coarse sea salt
- 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 5 cloves pink or white garlic
- 120 ml dry white wine
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro
- 1 piece untreated lemon
- to taste ground black pepper
- 4 slices crusty country bread
Method
- Rinse the clams under cold water, then let them purge in heavily salted water until the bottom of the container shows almost no more sand.
- Drain the clams and rinse them one more time; discard any that are broken or that remain open after a light tap.
- Thinly slice the garlic and roughly chop the cilantro, reserving a few nicer leaves for the garnish.
- Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat; add the garlic and let it release its aroma without browning, until it smells mellow and almost sweet.
- Increase the heat, add the clams, and stir to coat them in the flavored oil; they should start to sizzle briskly.
- Pour in the white wine, cover immediately, and cook until the shells open and release their briny juice.
- Uncover, add the chopped cilantro and a little pepper, then shake the sauté pan to emulsify the juice, oil, and herbs without breaking the shells.
- Remove from the heat as soon as the clams are open; discard any that remain closed, then drizzle with lemon juice just before serving.
- Serve piping hot in a shallow bowl, with the reserved cilantro leaves and country bread for mopping up the juice.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 550.4 kcal
- Protein
- 41.53 g
- Carbohydrate
- 30.25 g
- Fat
- 25.47 g
- Fibre
- 2.61 g
- Calcium
- 17.12 mg
- Iron
- 0.82 mg
- Magnesium
- 18.52 mg
