Portuguese clams (Amêijoas á bulhão pato)

These Portuguese clams are wonderfully easy to make, with simple light flavors of garlic, wine and cilantro. They come together quickly and make a delicious light meal, or serve with other dishes to share.

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Clams are for whatever reason often a less prized seafood, other than in a few places. Living in New England, I am definitely in an area where they are enjoyed - fried clams are a classic in summer. And Portugal is another place where clams are well loved.

This Portuguese preparation is similar to some other clam and mussel dishes, like moules marinieres, but with one main difference: the cilantro. And while it's subtle, it does give a slightly different, and tasty, flavor profile, with minimal effort.

Where does the name come from?

This dish is named after the 19th-century Portuguese poet Raimundo António de Bulhão Pato. Exactly why the dish was named after him is a little unclear, as it seems unlikely he created it. However he was said to be a foodie and mentioned food in his writing, so potentially a chef returned the honor.

The dish is one of the most popular ways you'll find clams served in Portugal. It's served in many restaurants and snack bars, often as a tapas-like sharing plate, known as petiscos. It's also incredibly easy to make at home.

What makes Portuguese clams different?

At first glance, these might look almost the same as simple steamed clams you find in other places, but while as I mention, the cilantro is one of the main things, there are a few things make them distinctly Portuguese:

• Cilantro/coriander - this adds a lovely, fresh finish to the dish and is that bit nicely different and more aromatic compared to the more common parsley.
• Bay leaf - this is another flavor you'll find in a lot of Portuguese cuisine. While you don't eat it, it gently infuses the cooking liquid adding more aromatic flavor.
• Vinho verde - this Portuguese wine is that bit lighter so keeps the liquid base fresh.
• Lemon juice - while this is maybe less unique, it's another tasty addition to keep things light and fresh.

The other ingredients - garlic and olive oil - are pretty typical of most all steamed clam recipes as the garlic gives a lovely aromatic base and you need the oil to gently soften it in. All the ingredients together are light and relatively subtle, allowing the clam flavor to shine, but with a lovely fresh edge.

How to prepare and cook clams

Clams are incredibly easy to cook, but it is worth keeping a couple things in mind to make sure they come out well. These fall into a few key areas - cleaning, discarding any that are bad, and cooking the right length of time.

Clams can hold dirt, so it's important to get rid of that. Especially as you want to enjoy all the tasty juices that form part of the sauce without grittiness. So, start by placing the clams in a bowl of cold water to help them purge any dirt. You'll be surprised what might come out!

Then, make sure you get rid of any that have cracked shells as these are not good to eat. I always recommend buying a little more than you think you need to allow for the odd one discarded.

Clams cook relatively quickly, though a little slower than mussels. You want to keep an eye on them as they are ready when they open up. If they don't open after a couple extra minutes, discard them. But also don't cook too long as you don't want them to potentially become dry and/or tough.

Then serve up and enjoy, with some bread on the side to mop up all that delicious wine, aromatics and clam juice sauce!

These Portuguese clams are wonderfully easy to make, with bright aromatic flavors. They make a fantastic dish as part of a range of sharing plates, as a light lunch or appetizer. They're well worth finding an excuse to enjoy.

Try these other favorite easy seafood recipes:

• Shrimp saganaki (a tasty Greek dish with shrimp cooked in a slightly spicy tomato base, topped with feta)
• Mussels in cream (another delicious shellfish recipe with a luscious cream sauce)
• Salmon poke bowl (a salmon version of the classic, it's fresh, simple and so good)
• Plus get more seafood recipes in the archives.

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