1 Picture
Ingredients
- 8 whole allspice berries
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large or 4 small dried bay leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 8 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 small (3 to 4 ounce) onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 1 small to medium green bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 1 6 to 8-ounce piece of chouriço (Portuguese not Spanish), cut into 16 slices, 1/3-inch thick
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 14-ounce can whole tomatoes in juice, drained, juice reserved and tomatoes diced (San Marzano - best)
- 2 pounds littleneck clams (about 20 small littlenecks), scrubbed
- 2 pounds mussels, de-bearded and scrubbed
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (optional)
- 1 loaf crusty baguette or other rustic loaf of bread
Details
Servings 4
Adapted from ming.com
Preparation
Step 1
1. Crack the allspice berries by gently crushing them under a small frying pan. Heat the oil in a cataplana or large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the bay leaves, allspice berries and crushed red pepper, and cook, stirring constantly, until the bay leaves turn olive color, about 1 minute.
2. Add the garlic and swirl it in the oil until the slices become golden on the edge, about one minute. Stir in the onions and peppers and increase the heat to medium-high. Sauté, stirring frequently, until the peppers begin to lose their vibrant color, about 2 minutes. Add chouriço and sauté until it begins to tint the vegetables brownish-red, another minute.
3. Stir in tomatoes (diced and juice), wine and black pepper and let the stew come to a boil. No salt will be needed because of the natural salinity of the clams. Add the clams, cover tightly and steam them for 4 minutes.
4. Open the cataplana and quickly add the mussels and stir the pot and cover, then steam for other 3 or 4 minutes until all the clams are open.
5. Stir in chopped parsley and cilantro and serve family style in the cataplana or divide the stew evenly onto 4 soup plates.
Review this recipe