I have taken the flavours of a classic Spanish clam stew and rejigged it so it tastes great even though there is no meat in it. Normally it would have Chorizo in it, so I used smoked paprika which is the flavor of Chorizo instead and it tastes just as good. It’s a really easy recipe and great for a date night. Also, the frozen Clams were a bargain £3.59 for 500g in the freezer section of Waitrose. I always buy a few boxes and keep them in the freezer just in case. They are delicious with roasted sourdough or my homemade fries or roast potatoes.

Recipe

Serves 2.

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, finely sliced
Pinch of hot smoked paprika
Pinch of saffron threads
500g of clams (thawed if using frozen)
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
A bunch of parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon sherry
2 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 slices of sourdough bread (optional)

How:
Mince one of the cloves of garlic and put it in a heavy bottomed pan on a medium heat with two tablespoons of the olive oil, onions, paprika and saffron. Fry gently for about ten minutes until the onions are soft.
Add the tomatoes, sherry, salt and pepper and the juice from the clams if using frozen ones. Cover and simmer slowly for another ten minutes.
Add the clams and cook for about 6-8 minutes.
Meanwhile drizzle the bread slices with the rest of the olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast them directly on the oven rack in a preheated oven until golden, about 5 mins, but keep an eye on them. When done, rub the garlic clove over one side using the bread to grate it, but don’t go mad, it only needs a bit. Or if making it with the fries or roast potatoes, make them in advance and reheat them just before serving.
Ladle the clams into two deep plates, sprinkle with parsley and a drizzle of olive oil.
Place the toasted bread on top and serve.

I shop at:
Waitrose
Sainsbury’s
Tesco
Lidl