Portuguese Clams with Vinho Verde ~ Amêijoas à Bulhão Pato
This clam dish is a classic. It has a long history in Portugal and for good reason: It's delicious. Portuguese home cooking is distinguished by its gutsy soulfulness. If you're the type who seasons liberally, taste first. This dish is plenty salty and full of flavor.
Ingredients
- kosher salt, to taste
- 12 medium littleneck clams, (1 1/2 pounds/680 g)
- extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 large garlic cloves, very thinly sliced crosswise
- 1 fresh bay leaf, notches torn every 1/2 inch
- 1/2 cup dry white vinho verde
- 2 sprigs plus 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- crusty bread, for serving
Instructions
- Fill a bowl with cold water and dissolve enough kosher salt in it to make it taste like the ocean. Submerge the 12 medium littleneck clams in the water. Let them sit for 10 minutes or until they spit out their grit. You should see sand at the bottom of the bowl. Lift out the clams and transfer to a colander. With a stiff-bristled brush, scrub them vigorously until their shells are really clean.
☞ TESTER TIP: If you don’t have a kitchen brush, a clean toothbrush will work nicely in its place.
- Heat a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Coat the bottom with extra-virgin olive oil and add the 2 large garlic cloves and 1 fresh bay leaf. Cook, stirring continuously, until very aromatic, bubbling, and golden, about 4 minutes.
- Toss in the clams and stir to coat in the mixture and get a sizzle going on them. Add the 1/2 cup dry white vinho verde and 2 cilantro sprigs. Cover, raise the heat to medium-high, and cook, shaking the saucepan frequently, until the clams start to open, 5 to 8 minutes. The liquid should be boiling vigorously. Start pulling out the early birds that open first and put them in a dish.
- Cover the saucepan again and continue cooking and pulling until all the clams open. After 5 minutes, any clams that don't open are dead; throw them out.
- Discard the bay leaf and cilantro sprigs. Strain the sauce into a large bowl. Swirl in about 1 tablespoon olive oil, then fold in the clams and chopped cilantro leaves.
- Serve immediately with plenty of crusty bread.
Nutrition
Serving: 1portion | Calories: 284kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 312mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g