Amêijoas à Bulhão Pato (Clams with Garlic, Cilantro and Lemon)
- Prep
- 5 min
- Total
- 15 min
- Servings
- 2
Amêijoas à Bulhão Pato taste of a sunny afternoon on a terrace. It’s a simple dish in which the sauce of olive oil, garlic and white wine almost steals the show from the clams, so it has to come with plenty of bread for dipping.
It’s named after Raimundo António de Bulhão Pato, a Portuguese poet and lover of good food in the bohemian Lisbon of the 19th century. The dish was dedicated to him for his taste in simple, well-seasoned seafood.
Recipe
Amêijoas à Bulhão Pato
Fresh clams cooked in olive oil, garlic and white wine, with cilantro and lemon juice at the end. A quick, simple snack and one of the best things in Portuguese seafood cooking.
Ingredients
Method
- 1Make sure the clams are thoroughly washed and free of sand.
- 2Put the olive oil and sliced garlic in a wide pan over medium heat and let the garlic turn lightly golden and fragrant, without burning.
- 3Add the clams, toss them quickly in the hot oil and pour in the white wine.
- 4Cover and cook over high heat, shaking the pan now and then. The steam opens the shells and releases the salty water inside, which makes the sauce. This takes 5 to 10 minutes.
- 5As soon as nearly all the shells are open, turn off the heat. Throw away any that didn't open.
- 6Add the chopped cilantro, a pinch of white pepper and a few drops of fresh lemon juice. Stir gently.
- 7Taste the sauce and add salt only if it needs it; clams are often salty enough from the sea.
- 8Serve hot, with slices of rustic bread and a good bottle of white wine.
Tips
Nothing ruins this dish like sand. Leave the clams in salted water for several hours before cooking so they release it.
Be generous with the olive oil: the bottom of the pan should have a good layer of it, which joins the clam juices and the wine to make the sauce.
A young, dry white wine gives the acidity that balances the oil.
Turn off the heat as soon as the shells open. Overcooked clams turn tough and shrink.
