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5.0 from 3 votes

Portuguese Clams - Amêijoas á Bulhão Pato

This clams with garlic coriander sauce recipe, also known as amêijoas à bulhão pato, is one of my favorite Portuguese recipes. It is a simple recipe with few ingredients, but is packed full of flavor. I order it at every restaurant in Portugal as an appetizer because I can never get enough of it!

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Additional Time
20 mins
Total Time
40 mins
Calories: 78 kcal
Cuisine: Portuguese

Ingredients

  • 24 littleneck clams (the smaller the better)
  • 1 tbsp kosher salt
  • 4 cloves garlic (thinly sliced using a mandoline)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup vinho verde (Portuguese green wine)
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (coriander)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Baguette for serving
  • Lemon juice or wedges (for serving)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Grab a large bowl and place a colander inside. Add clams into the colander. Fill the bowl with water and 1 tbsp kosher salt until all clams are submerged. Allow the clams to 'spit' out any dirt that may be inside of them for 20 minutes. Once complete, discard water outside so you are not pouring sand down your drain. Take a brush and scrub the outside of the clams until they are clean.
  2. In a dutch oven or pot over medium heat, add in the 2 tbsp of olive oil, garlic, and bay leaf. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring so the garlic does not burn.
  3. Add the clams into the pan and sauté them for 1 minute. Pour in the vinho verde and cover the pot. Allow the clams to steam open, which takes about 5-8 minutes. Give the pot a shake every so often which helps the clams open. After the 5 minute mark, take the lid off and remove any clams that have opened and place them in a serving plate or bowl. Allow the rest to open, after 8 minutes if they haven't opened with a shake of the pot then discard.
  4. Once all the clams have been opened and placed in the serving bowl or plate, add the chopped cilantro over the top. Take the remaining sauce from the pot and pour over the clams and cilantro.
  5. Serve while warm with a side of bread to dip in juices and lemon wedges to squeeze over clams.

Notes

  • In Portugal the clams used for this recipe are very small white clams. We do not have them here in the US, so try and get the smallest clams possible at the market which will probably be littleneck clams.
  • Portuguese green wine can be found in almost every US grocery and liquor store now (yay!). If you cannot find it, substitute a dry white wine such as pinot grigio for the recipe.

Nutrition Information

Serving 4 Calories 78kcal (4%) Carbohydrates 2g (1%) Protein 2g (4%) Fat 7g (11%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 5g Trans Fat 0.003g Cholesterol 4mg (1%) Sodium 3mg (0%) Potassium 29mg (1%) Fiber 0.1g (0%) Sugar 0.05g (0%) Vitamin A 175IU (4%) Vitamin C 1mg (1%) Calcium 13mg (1%) Iron 0.4mg (2%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 78

% Daily Value*

Serving 4
Calories 78kcal 4%
Carbohydrates 2g 1%
Protein 2g 4%
Fat 7g 11%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 5g 25%
Trans Fat 0.003g 0%
Cholesterol 4mg 1%
Sodium 3mg 0%
Potassium 29mg 1%
Fiber 0.1g 0%
Sugar 0.05g 0%
Vitamin A 175IU 4%
Vitamin C 1mg 1%
Calcium 13mg 1%
Iron 0.4mg 2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.