Tucking into a pint of cockles or clams is a favourite memory of family seaside holidays in Cornwall; perched on a wall watching the waves crash against the shore while keeping an eye out for pesky sea gulls trying to pinching your clams! This dish puts a twist on a British seaside classic. Palourdes, or carpet clams, are by far my favourite tasting clams and the most elegant, but this dish is also great with mussels.
250g palourde clams
175ml of sharp white wine
1/4 onion finely chopped
1 clove of garlic finely chopped
splash of olive oil
5g knob of butter
Small bunch of flat leaf parsley roughly chopped ?
1 bay leaf
small amount of chilli, finely chopped
squeeze of lemon
salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Wash and clean the clams in a large colander making sure there are no dead clams, dead ones will be wide open and wont react to movement or water, discard these.
• In a large pan sweat off the onion, garlic and the chilli in the olive oil until soft. Add the clams and the white wine, season and then place a large lid on top to steam open the clams.
• Cook for 3-4 minutes, then using a sieve and a separate sauce pan empty the clams and reduce the liquid down and add the butter to give the juices a silky, creamy sauce add the parsley then plate up.
• Place the clams in a deep bowl then carefully pour the sauce over the clams, you don't want to waste a drop of this stunning sauce! Finish with a squeeze of lemon over the top and serve with hunks of crusty white bread to mop up the juices.
