I am a clam enthusiast, but out of the bevy of bivalve molluscs, my heart belongs to coquinas.
In the before-time, coquinas first happened in Málaga. And then kept on happening until the inevitable flight home.
Lockdown3, I was amazed to spot coquinas at the fish monger on Swain’s Lane and pounced. I also saw Charles Dance on the heath opposite, but did not pounce. Definitely thought about it though.
So, what makes donax variabilis special? As a shell seeker, I’ve given this some thought and decided that, besides the fine flavour, it’s the clam to shell ratio: impressive bounty for something so small. And this recipe is a doddle.
You can, if you think necessary, leave the clams in a litre of cold water mixed with a tablespoon of Maldon salt for an hour to purge any sand. I find coquinas don’t need it, but it does no harm, so long as you don’t use table salt: it has to be sea salt. You might also want some bread for mopping up afterwards. Or a spoon.
For 2
Ingredients:
- 500g coquinas
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 50ml Manzanilla sherry
- Handful of parsley, leaves only, finely chopped
- Pinch of salt, optional
Instructions:
- Add a good glug of olive oil in a pan, add the garlic, then put the heat on; I find finely chopped garlic added to hot oil often burns
- Once the garlic starts to cook, even sizzle, add the clams, the finely chopped parsley and a pinch of salt
- Now turn the heat up a little. You want to keep an eye on this as you add the sherry; this dish does not take long and you don’t want to overcook the clams
- As soon as the shells pop open, serve – the juices should have already started to emulsify
FU2020 