Clams with Serrano Ham & Fino Sherry

It's fair to say that the Spanish are slightly obsessed with seafood, they have a deep connection with their extensive coastline and it plays a key part in their cuisine. From the tapas bars of Andalusia to the seafood-rich shores of Galicia, clams are a prized ingredient. This simple recipe really highlights the delicate sweetness of these beautiful seafood jewels and it's perfect as a quick starter or tapas dish for two people.

Cooking the clams in a dry, fino sherry really elevates their sweetness whilst the salty serrano ham provides the perfect contrast. The garlicky, smoky sauce that's left over is with is just heavenly mopped up with some nice bread.

The clams we stock are pre-cooked in pouches and then flash frozen, not only do they retain their beautifully delicate flavour, but the pouch also contains the cooking juices which is so important for the flavour of the finished sauce.

Prep time: 10 mins | Cooking time: 10 minutes (not including defrost time for clams)

Recipe for Clams with Serrano Ham & Fino Sherry
Serves 2
Ingredients

1 x 250g pack of frozen Galician cooked clams (fully defrosted)
2 x fat cloves of garlic, finely diceed
1 x shallot, finely diced
A few slices of serrano ham, roughly chopped (about 20-25g)
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon hot smoked paprika (or sweet if you prefer)
1 glass of fino sherry (about 40ml) 
1 tablespoon of finely chopped parsley
Grilled sourdough bread to garnish

1. Make sure the clams are fully defrosted before you start.

2. This dish comes together really quickly, so make sure you have prepped all your ingredients before you start.

3. In a frying pan that has a lid, heat the olive and fry the garlic, shallot and chopped serrano ham for 2 to 3 minutes. You don't want any colour to appear on either the garlic or the shallot.

4. Add in the teaspoon of smoked paprika, cook for about 30 seconds, then tip in the sherry. Turn the heat up a little and flambe the sherry, then simmer for about a minute. Reducing the sherry in the pan will increase the sweetness and beautiful complex flavours.

5. Now tip in the clams with all the juices that were in the bag. Bring back to a simmer, place a lid on and cook for about 2 minutes. The clams are already cooked, so you are just warming them back up.

6. Now spoon everything out onto a warmed plate, sprinkle over some chopped parsley and serve with some good bread.

Enjoy! Foodies we would really love it if you could do us the honour of leaving a review for this recipe below if you enjoyed making this at home. Ben and Alice