Clams steamed with jamón serrano, white wine & flageolet beans
SERVES 4
This is a dish I eat at home all the time, and when I do eat it at the restaurant I do so without sharing it as I love it, love it, love it. I’m addicted to the salty flavour of the sea, the nutty taste of the clams and the deep richness of the ham. We serve a lot of ham plates, so we use the end of the leg for dishes such as this one. On occasion, I have used jamón Ibérico, which takes it to the next level. Make sure your clams come from a good supplier as often they can be quite gritty. A welcome addition to this dish would be some strips of fresh squid, quickly sautéed, then braised with the clams as they open, or mussels or pipis mixed in with the clams, too.
500 g (1 lb 2 oz) clams (vongole), purged
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 French shallot (eschalot), finely diced
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
60 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) white wine
50 g (1¾ oz) jamón serrano, finely diced
100 g (3½ oz) tinned flageolet beans, drained
50 g (1¾ oz) unsalted butter
lemon juice, to taste
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, preferably with a glass lid, over low heat. Add the shallot and garlic and cook for 2 minutes without colouring. Increase the heat to high, add the clams and wine, cover and cook, shaking the pan occasionally. Remove the clams as soon as they open. Discard any that do not open.
Add the jamón and beans to the pan, reduce the heat to low and stir in the butter. Season to taste with the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Return the clams to the pan and stir to combine. Serve immediately.
