Little Necks in Garlic Wine Sauce
Amêijoas à Bulhão Pato
Serves: 2 to 4
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 12 to 15 minutes
A perfect starter to any meal, this dish is really meant to be shared with friends — a good reason
to double the recipe! It’s served with warm toasted slices of crusty rustic bread for sopping up
the broth, which is almost as much of a feature of this appetizer as the clams themselves.
12 little neck clams or cherry stone clams, well-scrubbed
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 small onion, halved and very thinly sliced
6 garlic cloves, crushed and roughly chopped
1 cup dry white wine
½ teaspoon kosher or sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
¼ cup chopped flat leaf parsley
3 lemon slices, for garnish
1 loaf Portuguese Vienna bread or a French baguette, cut into slices
1. Soak the clams in cold salted water for 30 minutes. Change out the water and salt
every 10 minutes. Each clam should be closed tight, indicating they are alive. If a
clam does not close tightly, toss it.
2. Preheat the oven to 400˚F.
3. In a medium skillet over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the
onions and sauté until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute,
making sure it does not burn.
4. Add the wine, salt, and pepper, stir, and bring to a gentle simmer.
5. Add the clams to the skillet, cover, and cook, checking them after about 5 minutes to
see if the clams are opening. When all the clams are open, remove from the heat and
top with parsley and lemon slices.
6. Place the bread slices on a sheet pan and brush them lightly with the remaining olive
oil. Toast for 5 minutes, or until golden brown.
7. Serve immediately. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to
3 days. Reheat in a skillet on the stovetop for best results.
Pair it With: This dish is pairs best with a sweet white wine or glasses of Sangria (page xx).