Ingredients
| 3 dried ancho chillies | |
| a small pinch of dried chilli (hot pepper) flakes | |
| 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, lightly toasted | |
| ½ teaspoon sweet smoked pimentón de la Vera | |
| 2 garlic cloves, peeled | |
| 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar | |
| 3 tablespoons olive oil | |
| 800g tomatoes, chopped | |
| 75ml water | |
| 2kg clams, cleaned | |
| 1 small handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped | |
| crusty bread, to serve |
For me, clams are such a beautiful thing to cook – and, of course, to eat. I really love these sweet little shellfish, as they’re so succulent and versatile. With so many different types of clams available, it’s exciting to explore different ways to cook with them – or you can even just eat them raw. When I was a child, when we would travel down to Andalusia, our neighbouring region, to visit extended family, my mum would cook clams simply with Fino sherry, and we’d enjoy them with a rice dish.
Here, I’m using different spices, which at first you might think are too strong and will take away from the flavour of the clams. Don’t worry, this is not the case. Follow the recipe and cook the clams properly to bring out those flavours of the sea, and then you’ll notice how well this goes with the heat from the chillies. Just perfect.
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Instructions
| 1. | Rehydrate the ancho chillies in hot water for 20 minutes, then deseed them and put in a heavy pestle and mortar or small food processor. |
| 2. | Add the chilli flakes, toasted cumin seeds, pimentón, garlic and vinegar. |
| 3. | Season and mash or whizz to a paste, adding a splash of water to loosen. |
| 4. | Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. |
| 5. | Add the chilli paste and cook for 5 minutes, then add the tomatoes and 75ml water. Cook for 10 minutes. |
| 6. | When the sauce is almost ready, heat a large, lidded heavy-based pan over a high heat. |
| 7. | Add the clams and 100ml water and cover to steam for 1–2 minutes until the shells open. |
| 8. | Remove and discard any that do not open and then tip the clams, along with their juices, into the spicy tomato sauce. |
| 9. | Toss well and scatter with parsley. Serve with crusty bread. |
This is an edited
extract from The
Spanish Home Kitchen
by José Pizarro,
published by Hardie
Grant Books in 2022,
RRP $55. Available
in stores nationally.
Photography by
Emma Lee.