Spanish Clams with Chorizo

These Spanish oysters are simmered with cannellini beans, chorizo sausage, and exquisite flavor enhancers. It's a great tapas dish that will impress guests, but it is easy enough for any night of the week. This is one of those dishes where just a few ingredients are combined to form something incredibly delicious.

What is Tapas?

"Tapa," singular to the plural of Tapas, is not any specific type of food. Anything can be Tapas, simple croquettes, ham or cheese on toast, salads, meatballs, or hot chorizo sausage, as long as they are small portions and come in small plates. It is usually served with drinks. They can be cold and straightforward, like spiced olives, or hot and elaborate. The most common story behind the origin of Tapas is that it began as small slices of meat or bread served in bars that patrons could use to cover their drinks to keep flies away. "Tapas" is the Spanish verb for "to cover." Slowly but surely, small bar snacks are starting to become as necessary as drinks. They're also beginning to get more elaborate.

Oyster cleanse

A vital preparation step is "cleansing" the clams. This is because they live on the ocean floor and naturally have some sand in their shells, which is not an excellent addition to your plate! First, give them a quick scrub under cold water to clean the skins, then put them in a colander. Fill a large saucepan with cold water and mix in 2 tablespoons of salt per quart. Once well mixed, immerse the filter filled with clams into the water. Leave them for 20-30 minutes to clean off the sand.

How to Make Spanish Clams with Chorizo

First, brown the chorizo, sliced thin. It's already cooked, so you want to give it some nice color and flavor. Then remove it to a plate. Then add the chopped onion to the pan and sauté until golden brown. Add the minced garlic and stir for about a minute. Pour in the chicken broth and sweeten it from the pot. Add the sausage back together with the beans and seasoning. Mix well and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Then add the tomatoes and cook for an additional five minutes. Finally, it's oyster time. We arranged them in the pan, so they opened up and faced up. It looks impressive and will impress the guests. Cover and cook for five minutes. If not all of the clams open, give it a few more minutes. Any clamshells that don't eventually open should be discarded. When ready to serve, garnish with more thyme or chopped parsley and give it a generous drizzle of olive oil.

leftovers

We prefer to eat our seafood the day it is cooked. But if you have leftovers, keep them in the refrigerator in an airtight container and eat them within a couple of days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave with a little extra water.

Prep time: 20 MINUTES Cook time: 25 MINUTES Total time: 45 MINUTES

Ingredients

2 cups chicken stock
1 28oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2lbs littleneck clams
2 Tbsp olive oil
8oz grape tomatoes, halved
Olive oil, for garnish
6-7 sprigs of fresh thyme
8oz Spanish or Portuguese chorizo, thinly sliced
1/2 onion, chopped
5-6 garlic cloves, sliced
6-7 strands of saffron
Black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Brush the clams under cold water to remove the shells, then put them in a colander. Fill a large saucepan with cold water and mix in 2 tablespoons of salt per quart. Once well mixed, immerse the strainer filled with clams into the water. Leave them for 20-30 minutes to clean off the sand, then strain them.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo and brown each side, then remove to a plate.
Add onions to the pan and sauté until light brown. Then add garlic and fry for a minute. Pour in the chicken broth and sweeten it from the pot. Add back in the chorizo along with the beans, thyme, saffron, and black pepper. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes.
Place clams in bean mixture, cover skillet and let stand for 5 minutes. If not all clams are open, cook for two more minutes. Any clamshells that don't eventually open should be discarded.
When ready to serve, garnish with more thyme or chopped parsley and give it a generous drizzle of olive oil.