Almejas a la Marinera
Galician sailor-style clams opened in a garlicky white-wine sauce brightened with paprika and thickened with a whisper of bread or flour. It is a dish that lives or dies on fresh clams and good bread to mop the pan.
Approximate, per 1 cazuela (~200g clams in shell). Values vary by recipe and portion.
Ingredients
- ·1 kg (about 2 lb) fresh clams, such as almejas or palourdes
- ·1 small onion, finely chopped
- ·3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- ·2 tablespoons olive oil
- ·1 tablespoon plain flour
- ·1 teaspoon sweet paprika (pimentón dulce)
- ·150 ml (2/3 cup) dry white wine
- ·1 bay leaf
- ·2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- ·Salt, to taste
Method
- 1
Rinse the clams and soak them in cold salted water for about an hour so they release any grit; discard any that stay open when tapped.
- 2
Heat the olive oil in a wide, deep pan and gently cook the onion until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes, then add the garlic for another minute.
- 3
Stir in the flour and let it cook for a minute, then take the pan off the heat and stir in the paprika so it does not scorch.
- 4
Return to the heat, pour in the white wine and add the bay leaf, letting it bubble for 2 minutes to cook off the raw alcohol.
- 5
Add the clams and half the parsley, cover the pan and cook over medium-high heat, shaking occasionally, until the clams open, about 4 to 6 minutes.
- 6
Discard any clams that refuse to open, taste the sauce for salt and scatter over the remaining parsley. Serve hot with crusty bread.