Portuguese Amêijoas à Bulhão Pato

Ingredients

• 1 lb littleneck clams, scrubbed
• 6 garlic cloves, sliced
• 4 slices crusty bread
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion or 2 scallions, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 lemon, half juiced and half cut into wedges
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Steps

1. Put the scrubbed clams in a bowl of cold salted water for 20 minutes so they spit out their grit, then lift them out, leaving the sand behind. Discard any that are cracked or that stay open when tapped.
2. Heat the olive oil in a wide pan with a tight lid over medium-low heat. Add the sliced garlic and onion and cook gently for 3 to 4 minutes, until the garlic is pale gold and fragrant.
3. Keep the heat low here. Browned garlic turns bitter, and this dish is essentially garlic, clams, and their own juices.
4. Raise the heat to high, add the wine, and let it bubble hard for 1 minute to cook off the raw alcohol.
5. Tip in the clams, cover immediately, and steam for 4 to 6 minutes, shaking the pan once or twice, until the shells have opened.
6. Lift out the clams as they open and discard any that stay firmly shut after 8 minutes; those were not alive and should not be eaten.
7. Take the pan off the heat, stir the cilantro and lemon juice into the pan juices, and season with pepper. Taste before adding salt, as the clam liquor is already salty.
8. Return the clams to the pan, toss to coat, and serve at once in deep bowls with the crusty bread for the broth and lemon wedges alongside.

Allergen note: Contains shellfish and gluten.

Use the listed quantities as a guide, adjust seasoning to taste, and cook proteins to a safe internal temperature.