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São Jorge Clams
São Jorge clams cooked the Caldeira de Santo Cristo way, Azores: opened in a covered pan with onion, garlic, vinegar, bay leaf, paprika, cumin and parsley.
- 4 servings
- 15 min
- 15 min
- 2h
- Easy
The lagoon at Fajã da Caldeira de Santo Cristo on São Jorge is the only place in the Azores where clams are found, and they are prized for their size and flavour. Harvesting is limited and protected, and only a few restaurants on the island serve them.
This is how they are cooked at the Caldeira: opened in a covered pan over onion and garlic browned in olive and vegetable oil, with vinegar, bay leaf, paprika and cumin, and parsley at the end.
Method
Soak the clams for at least 2 hours in well-salted water (coarse salt) or clean seawater, renewing the water once or twice.
Drain the clams and rinse them well under the cold tap.
In a wide pan, heat the olive oil and vegetable oil and fry the onion and garlic until golden.
Add the vinegar, bay leaf, paprika, cumin and black pepper, stir and season lightly with salt.
Add the clams, cover and cook over a medium heat, shaking the pan from time to time, until they have all opened.
Turn off the heat, scatter over the parsley and leave to stand, covered, for about 5 minutes.
Serve straight away, with homemade bread to mop up the juices.
Tips
- Outside São Jorge, use grooved carpet shell clams (amêijoa-boa), the same species as in the Caldeira, very fresh and of a good size.
- Caldeira clams are a protected species with a closed season, so buy only from authorised sellers.
- If you have time, soak them for 3–4 hours in cold salted water, changing the water a few times.
- Discard any clams that do not open.
- On the island they are also cooked in a base of onion, garlic, tomato and parsley seasoned with Azorean chilli paste (massa de malagueta), without vinegar or cumin.
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