Though I am not Portuguese, influences from the Portuguese ways of cooking run through our family recipes. I grew up in an area in New England that has a large demographic of Portuguese people from the Azores islands. I also have Aunts, Uncles, and cousins who are Portuguese.
I have always loved to cook and as a child and well into my teens, these family members shared with me their Portuguese family recipes and I have prepared them in that fashion (as closely as I can) ever since. This Portuguese Clams and Chorizo Sausage is one of my favorites.
I had the pleasure of having this on date night (I was majorly surprised to see a Portuguese dish on the menu.) recently which made me think I needed to share this delicious recipe with you!
Be sure to serve this dish with slices of toasted baguette drizzled with extra virgin Olive oil. The broth is so flavorful and delicious; you will want to get every last drop.
Need some other quick appetizers? Check these out:
-
Air Fryer Ravioli
-
Nashville Hot Chicken Tenders
-
Baked Parmesan Cheese Fries
-
Barbecue Dry-Rubbed Chicken Wings
-
Spinach Dip Stuffed French Bread
Portuguese Style Steamed Clams
Ingredients
- 5 lbs (about 4 dozen) littleneck clams, scrubbed and rinsed well
- 1/2 pound chorizo—peeled , cut into 1/2 inch rounds and quartered
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 3 large garlic cloves , peeled and 2 minced
- 1/2 cup Portuguese Madeira Wine , or similar
- 1 cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth
- 4- ounces of sweet piquanté peppers , like peppadew peppers, rough chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
- 1 loaf baguette , sliced into 1/2 inch slices
- extra-virgin olive oil for brushing bread slices
- garnish with extra parsley and lemon slices
Instructions
- Preheat the oven on broil.
- Put the chorizo in a large skillet fitted with a tight fitting lid and brown, about 5 minutes.
- While the chorizo is browning, lightly brush the bread with olive oil and toast for about 7-10 minutes, until golden brown along the edges.
- Once the chorizo is brown, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add the minced garlic and cook over low heat until softened, about 2 minutes.
- Add the red wine to deglaze the pan, stirring and scraping the tiny bits of sausage from the bottom of the pan. Add the piquanté peppers, chicken stock, and the clams to the pan. Cover and cook over high heat until the clams have opened, about 10 minutes.
- Discard any unopened clams.
- Garnish with some reserved parsley and a squeeze of fresh lemon.
- Serve with toasted baguettes for soaking up that delicious broth!
Well we had the clams tonight,followed the recipe exactly. Found it terrible.
Found fresh clams this week at the grocery. Together w some dry Spanish chorizo from the deli, I was able to recreate this dish. Thanks!
This was one of the best clam dishes I have ever had!
Awwww, thank you! I’m so happy you liked it.