CLAMS IN SPICY TOMATO
SAUCE
Serves 4
For me, clams are such a beautiful
thing to cook – and, of course, to
eat. They’re so versatile. It’s
exciting to explore different ways
to cook with them. Here, I’m
using different spices, which at
first you might think will take
away from the flavour of the
clams. Don’t worry. This is not
the case. Follow the recipe and
you’ll notice how well they go
with the heat from the chillies.
Just perfect.
- 3 dried ancho chillies
- Small pinch of dried chilli
flakes - 1 tsp cumin seeds, lightly
toasted - ½ tsp sweet smoked pimentón
de la Vera - 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- Sea salt and freshly ground
black pepper - 3 tbsp olive oil
38 The Times Magazine
- 800g tomatoes, chopped
- 2kg clams, cleaned
- Small handful of flat-leaf
parsley, chopped - Crusty bread, to serve
- Rehydrate the ancho chillies in
hot water for 20 minutes, then
deseed them and put in a heavy
mortar or small food processor.
Add the chilli flakes, toasted
cumin seeds, pimentón, garlic and
vinegar. Season and mash with a
pestle or whizz to a paste, adding
a splash of water to loosen. - Heat the oil in a saucepan over
a medium heat. Add the chilli
paste and cook for 5 minutes,
then add the tomatoes and
75ml water. Cook for 10 minutes. - When the sauce is almost
ready, heat a large, lidded heavy-
based pan over a high heat. Add
the clams and 100ml water and
cover to steam for 1-2 minutes
until the shells open. Remove and
discard any that do not open and
then tip the clams, along with
their juices, into the spicy tomato
sauce. Toss well and scatter with
parsley. Serve with crusty bread.
RICE AND CLAMS
Serves 4This recipe is a great example of
how, with just a few ingredients,
you can make a very happy meal
in a short time. We often cook
this at home when we fancy
something that tastes a bit special,
but don’t want to spend too long
over it. It’s a dish you can make
throughout the year. We find it
goes down just as well at
midsummer garden lunches as it
does at autumn or winter dinner
parties. It’s comfort food, but
mouthwateringly good – and
healthy too.- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 banana shallot, finely
chopped - 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 1 fresh bay leaf
- 2 tsp tomato puree
- 300g bomba rice or other
short-grain rice - 750ml fresh fish broth or stock
- Handful of fresh marjoram
leaves- Sea salt and freshly ground
black pepper - 500g clams, cleaned
1. Heat the oil in a shallow
casserole dish or paella pan over
a low heat. Add the shallot and
fry for 5 minutes to soften. Add
the garlic, bay leaf and tomato
puree and fry for 1 minute more.
2. Stir in the rice, then increase
the heat to medium-high. Toast
the rice in the oil for 1 minute,
then add the broth, marjoram
leaves and plenty of seasoning.
Stir and cover, then reduce the
heat to low and simmer for
12 minutes until the rice is almost
cooked and still lovely and soupy.
3. Add the clams, then cover once
more and cook for a further
4 minutes until the clams are
open (discard any that remain
closed). Serve.
- Sea salt and freshly ground