Almejas á mariñeira
Almejas á mariñeira: Galician clams in a garlic, paprika and white wine sauce
Carril, a fishing village on the Arousa estuary, is famous across Spain for its clams, and Galician bars serve them á mariñeira in small clay dishes with bread for the sauce. They are cooked with onion, garlic and a little paprika, and the sauce is lightly thickened with flour and loosened with white wine. This recipe contains alcohol (white wine); for an alcohol-free version, use fish stock with a squeeze of lemon. Throw away any clams with cracked shells, and any open ones that don't close when tapped, before cooking. A common mistake is overcooking: clams toughen once they open, so take them off the heat as soon as most are open. Chef's tip: soak the clams in salted water in the fridge for an hour so they spit out their sand.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
To serve
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Dissolve 2 tbsp salt in 1.5 litres of cold water, add the 2 ¼ lb live clams and soak in the fridge for 1 hour. Lift them out, rinse, and throw away any with cracked shells or any open ones that don't close when tapped.
5 minStep 2: Heat 4 tbsp olive oil in a wide pan or clay dish over a medium-low heat. Cook 1 onion for 8 minutes until soft and translucent, then add 3 cloves garlic (and chilli if using) for 1 minute.
9 minStep 3: Stir in 1 tsp plain flour and ½ tsp sweet paprika for 30 seconds, then pour in ½ cup dry white wine (or fish stock with a squeeze of lemon) and 3 ½ tbsp water. Bubble for 2 minutes, stirring, until the sauce thickens slightly and the alcohol smell has gone.
3 minStep 4: Add the clams, cover and cook over a medium-high heat for 3–4 minutes, shaking the pan, until they open. Throw away any that stay shut.
4 minStep 5: Sprinkle with 2 tbsp chopped parsley, shake once more and serve at once with bread.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 210 kcal
- Protein
- 18 g
- Carbs
- 8 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does almejas á mariñeira take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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