Merluza en Salsa Verde con Almejas

HAKE AND CLAMS WITH PARSLEY SAUCE

SERVES 4 AS A MAIN DISH OR 8 AS A SMALL PLATE

The classic preparation of this dish uses only fish, but I added clams and clam juice to give the whole thing more body. In the restaurant, we use homemade seafood stock (here). If you happen to have some on hand, use it in place of the clam juice. It’ll taste even more luxurious.

20 littleneck clams (about 3 pounds)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons minced shallot

1 tablespoon minced garlic

½ cup dry white wine, preferably Albariño

1 cup bottled or canned clam juice,

divided

4 tablespoons blended oil, divided

4 (6-ounce) skinless hake or cod fillets

1½ tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

CLEAN THE CLAMS WELL BY RINSING AND scrubbing them under cold water. Throw out any with open, broken, or cracked shells.

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and garlic and cook, stirring until fragrant but not brown, about 1 minute. Add the clams, wine, and ½ cup clam juice. Cover and steam until all the clams open. After 3 minutes, check for any open clams. Pull any that have opened with tongs and place in a bowl. Stir and cover again. Keep checking every minute or so and pulling the clams immediately after they open. This will prevent overcooking the clams. Reserve the steaming liquid.

Heat 2 tablespoons blended oil in a large, deep nonstick skillet over high heat. Add 2 hake fillets and sear, turning once, until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining blended oil and fish.

Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the flour. Be ready with your remaining ½ cup clam juice because the sauce comes together fast. Keep whisking the flour-oil mixture until it starts to barely turn golden. We aren’t looking for any dark color here. Carefully but quickly whisk in the remaining clam juice to stop the mixture from cooking any further. Whisk in the reserved clam cooking liquid. Keep cooking and whisking until the sauce is reduced enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.

Return the fish to the skillet and simmer, turning once, until just opaque throughout, about 2 minutes. Transfer the fish to serving plates. Stir in the parsley, then toss in the clams with their accumulated juices to heat through. Spoon the clams and sauce onto the plates with the fish. Serve immediately.