As a family we love hands on food, and our kind of culinary fun is getting stuck into the clams, pulling each morsel out, and then sucking the juices that have generously collected inside the shell. I know that this may sound like an odd food combination, but actually it is a popular Portuguese dish. “Carne de Porco com Ameijoas a Portuguesa”.
An unashamed amount of garlic, paprika, bay leaves and fresh tomato goes into this stew. The best part is, a big bowl brimming with empty shells in the center of the table, and full-satisfied tummies. I think it would be a successful and unusual dinner party meal, with a side of plain boiled or fried potato cubes, and plenty salad.
Adapted from Mimi Jardim’s – Cooking The Portuguese Way In South Africa.
Ingredients:
Serves 4 – 6
1kg free range pork loin – cubed in bite size pieces
5 tsp. olive oil
1 medium white onion – finely chopped
4 tomatoes – grated or finely chopped
2 tbsp. chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
1,5kg clams – soak in warm/hot water with a little salt, until they open slightly to release grit and sand – then rinse again.
Pork marinade: Marinade for 30 minutes – 3 hours
15ml paprika
7 peppercorns
5 bay leaves
6 garlic cloves – crushed
250ml white wine
3 cloves
1 chilli – finely chopped – optional
1 tsp. salt
Recipe:
1 Mix together the marinade ingredients.
2 Add the pork cubes and leave for as long as possible.
3 Drain the pork, reserving the marinade.
4 Heat up the oil and fry pork until browned.
5 Add the onions, tomatoes and parsley.
6 Add the marinade and simmer for 15 minutes.
7 Season as desired.
8 Add the soaked clams, cover and cook until the clams open – about 10 minutes.
9 Serve with some fresh parsley on top.
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