SERVES 4
From the Atlantic fishing communities of the north—Galicia, Cantabria, Asturias, and the Basque Country—comes this classic dish prepared with either clams or hake, or a combination of the two. The green in the sauce is from a generous amount of fresh parsley. Use flat-leaf Italian parsley, not the curly variety. (Parsley is so common in the Spanish kitchen that it is given free in fishmongers’ and butchers’ shops.)
1. Purge the clams of any sand by soaking in salty water following the directions on page 341. Discard any clams with broken shells.
2. In a large pot, add the clams, bay leaf, and ½> cup/120 ml water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat, cover the pot, and simmer, shaking the pot from time to time, until the clams have opened, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat. Drain, reserving the liquid. Discard any clams that did not open.
3. In a cazuela, heavy casserole, large sauté pan, or deep skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and cook the onion until soft and nearly translucent, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute, stirring frequently. Combine the reserved liquid from the clams with water to make ¾ cup/180 ml and add to the pan along with the wine and parsley. Season with salt and whisk in the flour. Bring to a boil and cook uncovered, stirring from time to time, over a low boil for 5 minutes to thicken the sauce.
4. Add the clams to the pan and cook uncovered, shaking the pan from time to time, for 5 minutes. Transfer to a shallow serving bowl, pour over the sauce from the pan, and serve immediately.