Clams in Sherry Sauce (Almejas a la Gaditana)

Name: Clams in Sherry Sauce (Almejas à la Gaditana)
Cook time: PT0D0H25M
Total time: PT0D0H25M
Yield: serves 4-6
Ingredients: 3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil; 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 3 lb. small clams, such as littlenecks, scrubbed clean (about 3 dozen); 1 cup dry white wine; ½ cups dry sherry; ¼ cups finely chopped parsley; 2 small red bird’s eye chiles, stemmed and finely chopped; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; Country bread, for serving

A handful of ingredients and plenty of crusty bread make a meal out of this classic Andalusian dish.

Serves
serves 4-6
Time
25 minutes

PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAOLA + MURRAY; FOOD STYLING BY OLIVIA MACK MCCOOL; PROP STYLING BY SOPHIE STRANGIO

By Alexander Lobrano

Updated on August 30, 2022

Food and travel writer Alexander Lobrano serves this classic Andalusian seafood dish with lots of crusty bread to soak up the piquant broth. For him it captured the enticements of the port city of Cadiz and the treasures to be found in its central Mercado Central de Abastos. This recipe first appeared in our December 2012 issue along with Alexander Lobrano's story My Spanish Sanctuary.

Ingredients

3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 lb. small clams, such as littlenecks, scrubbed clean (about 3 dozen)
1 cup dry white wine
½ cups dry sherry
¼ cups finely chopped parsley
2 small red bird’s eye chiles, stemmed and finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Country bread, for serving

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Instructions

Step 1

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high. Add the garlic, and cook, stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the clams, wine, sherry, parsley, and chiles; season with salt and black pepper. Bring to a boil, and cook, covered, until the clams open, about 12 minutes. Uncover the pan and discard any clams that don’t open; taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve with slices of crunchy country bread on the side.