Lisbon boasts a charming mix of old-world elegance and youthful energy that is reflected in its dining culture. The city’s stunning scenery makes outdoor dining a popular option, and restaurants offer delicious comfort food with exciting flavors. And if you have a sweet tooth, you’ll love the warm custard tarts that are a staple of Portuguese cuisine – they perfectly capture the country’s approach to food, emphasizing balance, simplicity, and overall satisfaction.
Littlenecks with garlic and chorizo
This recipe is super-easy but tastes complicated, thanks to chorizo and clam juice: they provide a round, deep flavor to the wine broth that you’ll want to mop up with toasted Portuguese sweet bread. It’s remarkably light, so you’ll have plenty of room to fill up on a few cold Sagres before the meal; afterward, a glass of Fonseca is perfect for taming the spice in the chili flakes.
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, sliced into ¼ pieces
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
4 links pork chorizo, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 garlic cloves, sliced thin
1 cup white wine
6 canned plum tomatoes, quartered
4 dozen littlenecks, scrubbed, soaked, and drained
kosher salt, to taste
Directions
To prepare the dish, start by heating a stock pot on medium heat and adding two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Sauté onions, chili flakes, and a pinch of salt until they turn translucent, which should take around six minutes. Then, add chorizo and garlic and continue to sauté for an additional three minutes. After that, add white wine, one cup of water, tomatoes, and clams, cover the pot, and bring it to a boil. Let it steam until the clams open up, which should take around five minutes. Divide the clams and chorizo equally into four large soup bowls, ensuring to discard any clams that did not open. Finally, serve the broth with onions and garlic over the clams.
If you liked our Littlenecks with Garlic and Chorizo recipe, check out:
Smoked Haddock and Chorizo Cakes
