Recipe - Steamed Clams And Sausages -- Almeijoas Na Cataplana

1 One half Tablespons olive oil
1 lg Onion; halved then thinly
cut or sliced up [a]
1 Garlic clove; crushed then
minced [a]
2 ounce Prosciutto; cut in 1/4" dice
[b]
One half Yellow; red or green bell
pepper, seeded, cut in 1/4"
dice [b]
3 ounce Sausage (butifarra;
linguica, Spanish chourico
or pepperoni), cut in 1/4"
dice [b]
One half teaspoon Paprika [c]
1 pn Ground chile or cayenne [c]
1 pn Black pepper [c]
2 Very ripe plum tomatoes;
fresh or canned, seeded,
finely chopped [c]
One fourth cup Dry white wine [c]
1 Bay leaf [c]
16 Cockles or small clams;
washed well
2 tablespoon Finely chopped fresh parsley

"Whoever invented this Portuguese dish was truly inspired. It's made in a
cataplana, a large, shellshaped pan with a hinged lid. A wok with a lid is
the closest approximation, though you can use a skillet. Cataplanas are
wonderful for steaming and braising, and when you bring it to the table,
open the lid and let the savory steam out . . . it's, to put it mildly,
extraordinary. I like to use cockles or the smallest possible clams, since
they closely approximate Iberian mollusks.

This is an impressive, romantic dinner for two. Make it in the kitchen in
an electric wok or skillet up to the point where you begin cooking the
clams. Add the clams, cover the pan and bring it to the table. Plug it in,
refusing to reveal what's in it and explaining that it will be ruined if
you open the lid (love that dramatic mystery!). Serve your first course,
perhaps a mixed green salad, and by the time you finish, your clams will be
ready. A bottle of sparkling wine, a simple chocolate torte, coffee and
even a glass of dessert wine make this truly memorable."

Heat oil over mediumhigh in pan. Add [a] and cook, stirring occasionally,
5 minutes. Add [b] and stir 3 minutes. Stir in [c], bring to boil, turn
heat to low and simmer 5 minutes, until just a thin film of liquid remains
in bottom of pan when you move aside solids.

Place cockles or clams atop the other ingredients, cover the pan and cook
over moderate heat until clams open, 1020 minutes. Discard any that
haven't opened at that point. Remove from heat, sprinkle with parsley and
serve. Serves 2 people.

Posted to TNT Prodigy's Recipe Exchange Newsletter by
hvane@shrewsbury.org on Sep 24, 1997