beer Clams

I’ve lived in Portugal for three summers and spend most of my holiday time visiting friends and family in the Algarve. Yet still, my take on this Portuguese classic remains one of my favourite dishes in the world.

Serves 3-4

1kg clams

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

10-12 garlic cloves, smashed

150ml lager

Small bunch of fresh coriander, stems and leaves separated and chopped

To serve

Baguette or toasted sourdough Juice of 1 lemon

Sea salt and black pepper

1 Put the clams in a sink full of water for a couple of hours to purge them of sand and grit.

2 Place a large lidded pan over direct heat, then add the olive oil. When it’s hot, add the garlic and get it cooking. As soon as the garlic starts to colour, add the beer and coriander stems, then season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and add the clams. Stick on the lid and give the pan a good shake. When the liquid comes to a boil again, give it another shake and cook until the clams open up, roughly 5-7 minutes.

3 Pour everything into a serving dish, including the sauce as you’ll definitely want to mop it up with some lovely baguette or toasted sourdough. Top with lemon juice, chopped coriander leaves and some more freshly ground black pepper.