Pan-fried clams are a traditional northern Spanish dish that bring out the best of the Cantabrian coast.
This recipe comes from my paternal grandmother Consuelo, who has lived in Santander her whole life. She recommends using the almeja fina, meaning “fine clam”. This type of clam is small, but full of flavour. You’ll recognise it by its two little legs that stick out of the shell, but unlike other varieties where the legs splay apart, these stay together.
Almejas a la sartén / Pan-fried Clams
Equipment
- 1 large frying pan with lid
- 1 garlic press
Ingredients
- 1 kg Clams "fina" variety if you can find it
- 1/2 lemon or a dash of white wine
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 bunch parsley
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Rinse and soak 1kg of clams in salt water for 1 hr to remove any impurities
- Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil at medium heat
- Finely chop the parsley and set aside
- Press 3 cloves of garlic and add to the oil, letting them turn golden but not toasted
- Once the garlic is golden or caramelised, add the clams
- Cover and gently shake the pan, allowing the clams to steam and open
- As they start to open, add juice of half a lemon or a dash of white wine
- Once all the clams are open, remove from heat, add chopped parsley
- Serve immediately
