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Amêijoas à Bulhão Pato
Clams with garlic and coriander
Amêijoas à Bulhão Pato: clams opened in olive oil with garlic, coriander and lemon
A Lisbon seafood beer hall wouldn't be one without a steaming bowl of these on every other table, with bread for the juices that pool in the bottom. The dish is named after the nineteenth-century poet Raimundo Bulhão Pato, a keen cook and hunter who is said to have loved it. It is only clams, olive oil, a lot of garlic, fresh coriander and lemon, so the shellfish must be lively and well cleaned. Many cooks add a splash of white wine, which contains alcohol; water or a little extra lemon juice works fine. Chef's tip: add the coriander at the very end, off the heat, so it stays bright and fragrant.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ lb live clamscarpet or palourde clams
- 2 tbsp coarse saltfor purging
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 6 cloves garlicthinly sliced
- ¼ cup dry white wineor water for an alcohol-free dish
- 1 bunch fresh corianderabout 30 g, leaves and fine stalks chopped
- 1 lemonhalf juiced, half in wedges
- ¼ tsp black pepperfreshly ground
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Put 2 ¼ lb live clams in a large bowl of cold water with 2 tbsp coarse salt and leave in the fridge for 1–2 hours so they spit out their sand. Lift them out (don't pour them, or the grit goes back on), rinse and drain.
60 minStep 2: Check each clam: throw away any with cracked shells, and any open ones that don't close when tapped firmly on the worktop.
Step 3: Warm ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil in a wide pan with a lid over a medium heat. Add 6 cloves garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant and just pale gold at the edges.
1 minStep 4: Turn the heat up high, add the clams and ¼ cup dry white wine, cover and cook for 3–5 minutes, shaking the pan now and then, until the shells have opened.
5 minStep 5: Lift out the clams as they open and discard any that stay shut. A common mistake is cooking until every last one opens: the rest turn rubbery while you wait.
Step 6: Return the clams to the pan off the heat, add 1 bunch fresh coriander, the juice from 1 lemon and ¼ tsp black pepper, and toss so the juices, oil and herbs come together into a cloudy sauce. Taste before salting; clams are naturally salty.
Step 7: Serve at once with the lemon wedges, and crusty bread (gluten-free if needed) for mopping up the sauce.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 18 g
- Carbs
- 5 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does amêijoas à Bulhão Pato take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of dry white wine?
- Stock with 1 tsp white wine vinegar per 120ml (½ cup).
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