Chef-tested recipe
Lisbon-style clams opened in olive oil, garlic, coriander, dry white wine, and fresh lemon
Amêijoas à Bulhão Pato is a Lisbon classic that draws remarkable depth from a short list of ingredients. Garlic perfumes olive oil, live clams release their own briny liquor, and coriander and lemon brighten the pan at the end. Starting with commercially purged live clams keeps the recipe safe and genuinely quick without using a prepared sauce.
Recipe at a glance
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Prep Time
- 15 mins
- Cook Time
- 10 mins
- Total Time
- 25 mins
- Cuisine
- Portuguese
- Course
- Supper or appetiser
- Cooking Method
- Sweating aromatics and covered steaming
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Best Served With
- Crusty Portuguese bread for the garlic-coriander liquor and a chilled dry Vinho Verde.
Before you begin
Ingredients & equipment
Gather what you need first, then cook through the method with confidence.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Ingredient and equipment links marked “paid link” may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Equipment
- Wide sauté pan with lidpaid link
- Colanderpaid link
- Shellfish brushpaid link
- Slotted spoonpaid link
- Warm serving bowlpaid link
- Digital kitchen scalepaid link
Ingredients
For the clams
- Live small clams, commercially purged: 1.5 kg
- Extra-virgin olive oilpaid link: 80 ml
- Garlic: 35 g, thinly sliced
- Fresh coriander stems: 15 g, finely chopped
- Dry Portuguese white wine: 150 ml
- Freshly ground black pepper: 1 g
- Fresh coriander leaves: 35 g, roughly chopped
- Fresh lemon juice: 40 ml
For finishing
- Extra-virgin olive oilpaid link: 15 ml
- Lemon: 1, cut into wedges
Preparation Overview
Keep the live clams refrigerated and uncovered by water until needed. Rinse and scrub them under cold running water. Discard any cracked clam and any open clam that does not close when tapped. Slice the garlic and separate the coriander stems from the leaves.
Method
Heat 80 ml olive oil in a wide lidded sauté pan over medium-low heat.
Add the garlic and coriander stems. Cook for 60–90 seconds until fragrant without allowing the garlic to brown.
Increase to high heat. Add the clams and black pepper, then toss to coat them in the aromatic oil.
Pour in the wine and immediately cover the pan.
Steam for 4–6 minutes, shaking the covered pan twice, until the clams open.
Remove the lid and transfer opened clams to a warm serving bowl as they are ready. Discard any clam that remains firmly closed after cooking.
Boil the pan liquid for 30–60 seconds if it needs slight concentration.
Remove from the heat. Stir in the coriander leaves, lemon juice, and 15 ml olive oil.
Pour the hot liquor over the clams and serve immediately with lemon wedges.
Beginner Technique Notes
Never cook cracked, damaged, or unresponsive open clams.
Commercially purged clams are important for this short recipe. If your supplier says they require purging, allow the separate food-safe purging time before beginning.
Keep garlic pale; browned garlic makes the delicate clam liquor bitter.
Remove clams as they open so smaller ones do not become tough while larger ones finish.
Tips and Variations
Use a crisp dry Portuguese white wine such as Vinho Verde and serve the same wine at the table.
Do not add unnecessary salt until tasting the finished liquor; clams naturally season it.
Coriander stems flavour the cooking oil, while leaves stay fresh when added at the end.
A broad pan opens clams more evenly than a deep crowded pot.
Serving Ideas
- Bring the clams to the table in a warm shallow bowl with plenty of their liquor. Provide a separate bowl for shells and serve immediately.
Storage
Shellfish is best eaten when freshly cooked. Refrigerate cooled leftovers in their liquor within 1 hour and consume within 1 day. Reheat gently only until steaming. Do not freeze cooked clams in their shells.
Nutritional Value
Allergen Notes
Contains molluscs and sulphites from wine. Serve bread separately for diners avoiding wheat or gluten. Alcohol is reduced during cooking but not guaranteed to disappear completely.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I tell whether a clam is alive?
A live open clam should close when tapped. Discard cracked clams and those that remain open.
Must the clams be purged?
Follow the supplier’s guidance. This 25-minute version requires live clams sold already purged.
Why should unopened cooked clams be discarded?
A clam that remains firmly closed cannot be assessed safely and should not be forced open.
Can parsley replace coriander?
Coriander is characteristic of Bulhão Pato style. Parsley changes the identity of the dish.
