Best Chorizo Clams Recipes

CHORIZO STEAMED CLAMS

Steps:

• Place large pot over medium heat; add olive oil. Stir in diced onion; cook and stir until onions begin to turn translucent, 3 or 4 minutes. Add chorizo; cook and stir to render some fat, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Pour in white wine.
• Raise heat to high and bring liquid to a boil. Immediately add clams and distribute evenly. Cover and cook until clams open, about 7 minutes. During this time you can occasionally shake the pot to "stir" the clams using potholders or a kitchen towel to hold the pot handles. It's best not to open the lid and stir.
• When clams have opened, remove pot from heat. Stir in butter and parsley; allow butter to melt. Serve clams in heated bowls with lots of the liquid.

CLAMS WITH CHORIZO

Steps:

• Scrub the clams, discarding any with cracked or open shells that fail to close when tapped.
• Heat the olive oil in a nonreactive large sautee pan or saucepan. Prick the sausage a few times with a toothpick. Fry the sausage over medium heat until cooked, about five minutes on each side. Transfer the sausage to a cutting board and let it cool, then cut it into thin slices.
• Discard all but two tablespoons of the fat from the pan. Add the onion and garlic and cook over medium heat until lightly brown, about three minutes. Stir in the sausage, tomatoes, parsley, bay leaf, pepper and wine. Bring the mixture to a boil. Stir in the clams and tightly cover the pot.
• Cook the clams over high heat until the shells open, about eight minutes. Shake the pan occasionally to give the shells room to open. Ladle the clams and cooking liquid into shallow bowls (discard any that have not opened).

BROTHY CLAMS AND CHORIZO

Steps:

• In a large high-sided saute pan with a lid, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo, cooking until it has let off some of its fat and the oil is colored by its spices, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add the fennel and onions and cook until softened and fragrant, about 4 minutes. Next, add the garlic, pimenton and crushed red pepper and cook for 1 additional minute. Add the clam juice and white wine and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the clams into the broth. Cover and cook until the clams open up, 5 to 6 minutes. Discard any clams that don't open up.
• After the clams have opened, add the parsley, butter, lemon zest and juice. Plate the clams with plenty of the liquid and serve with a piece of crusty bread to sop up all the delicious broth!

STEAMED CLAMS IN WINE AND CHORIZO

Steps:

• Cook onion, bell pepper, garlic, cumin, and salt in oil in a 4- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, 7 to 9 minutes. Stir in wine and bring to a boil.
• Add clams and chorizo, then boil, covered, until clams open, 7 to 8 minutes. (Discard any clams that are not open after 9 minutes.) Season with pepper and stir in cilantro.

PAELLA WITH CHORIZO, SHRIMP, CLAMS AND CHICKEN WITH GARLIC AIOLI

Steps:

• For the paella: Add the chicken stock, saffron threads and shrimp shells to a medium saucepan and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, coat the paella pans generously with olive oil. Add the chorizo, dividing it between the two pans. Set the pans over medium-low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the chorizo is crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the chicken to the pans and season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is beginning to brown, but isn't cooked all the way through.
• Add the garlic, celery, onions, peppers and tomato to a food processor and pulse until chopped into a coarse paste. Add to the paella pans and cook until all of the liquid has evaporated and the veggies are soft and slightly caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add the peas and cook 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add about 1/2 cup of the stock to each pan and stir, making sure to scrape up the fond from the bottom of the pans. Season to taste with salt. Add about another cup of the stock to each pan, then bring the liquid to a boil.
• Add the rice and stir until thoroughly combined. Nestle the clams into the rice and cook for 5 minutes. Nestle the shrimp into the rice and simmer until the shrimp are pink and cooked through and the clams have fully opened, 5 minutes.
• For the aioli: Meanwhile, add the vinegar, garlic and egg yolks to a food processor and process until combined. With the machine running, slowly add the oil to emulsify the mixture. Season to taste with salt.
• For serving: Garnish with the chives and a drizzle of aioli.

STEAMED CLAMS WITH CHORIZO AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• In a dutch oven heat olive oil over medium heat.
• fry chorizo, onion, garlic, salt and pepper stirring until onion are golden.
• stir in tomatoes and vinegar.
• cook over medium heat until tomatoes are tender (about 15 minutes).
• add clams, cover and bring to a boil.
• cook just until clams open wide (8 to 10 minutes).
• discard any clams that do not open.
• Remove from heat, stir in basil and serve.
• served with crusty bread to sop up sauce.

PORTUGUESE-STYLE PORK AND CLAMS WITH CHORIZO AND FRIED POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200°F.
• Heat a large sauté pan over high heat for 2 minutes. Swirl in the pork fat and wait 1 minute. Taste a piece of the pork confit to see if it needs more seasoning. Season with salt and pepper, if necessary. Place the pork confit in the pan, being careful not to crowd it. (You may need to do this in two pans or two batches.) Sear the pork 4 to 5 minutes on the first side. When the first side is nicely caramelized, turn the pork cubes over, and brown them on all sides. Stir in the fried potatoes, heat them through, and coat them well with the pork fat. Transfer the pan to the oven to keep it warm.
• Heat a Dutch oven over high heat for 2 minutes. Swirl in the olive oil and wait 1 minute. Crumble the chorizo into the pan, and sauté about 4 minutes, until the sausage is crisped on one side but not fully cooked. Add the shallots and thyme, stirring to coat them with the chorizo oil. Add the clams and the roasted tomatoes, stirring for about 2 minutes to combine all the ingredients and coat the clams. Pour in the vermouth and cover the pan. Let the clams steam a few minutes, until they open. Remove the lid and add the stock. Discard any unopened clams. Bring to a simmer, stirring well to combine the flavors, and swirl in the butter. Taste for seasoning. Spoon the clams and chorizo into a large, warm, shallow bowl.
• Meanwhile, take the pork out of the oven and return it to the stove, over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir well, so that it coats the meat and potatoes. After a minute or two, when the garlic is translucent and just starting to color, stir in the parsley. Arrange the pork and potatoes over the clams and chorizo.
• Serve with a large serving spoon and lots of crusty bread. If you are feeling over the top, a bowl of aïoli would really gild the lily (see page 148).
• Fried Potatoes
• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Place the potatoes in a roasting pan, and toss well with 2 tablespoons olive oil, the garlic, bay leaves, thyme sprigs, and 1 heaping teaspoon salt. Cover tightly with aluminum foil, and roast the potatoes about 50 minutes, until they're tender. (The time will really depend on size, age, and variety of potatoes.) When the potatoes have cooled, peel them, discard the bay leaves and thyme, and crumble the potatoes into chunky pieces with your hands.
• Heat a large sauté pan over high heat for 2 minutes. (To get the potatoes nicely browned and crisp, don't overcrowd them. You may have to use two pans or brown them in batches.) Swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and wait 1 more minute. Add the crumbled potatoes, and season with the thyme leaves, salt, and pepper. Sauté the potatoes until they are crispy on one side. (Don't try to move them or turn them if they are stuck to the pan; they will eventually release themselves, just be patient.) After about 8 minutes, when they've browned nicely on the first side, stir them to let them color on all sides. Serve immediately, or set aside on a baking sheet.
• Roasted Tomatoes
• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Slice the tomatoes in half lengthwise, toss them with the olive oil, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper. Place the tomatoes, cut side down, on a baking sheet, and roast in the oven 30 to 40 minutes, until their skins blister and shrivel. When the tomatoes have cooled, pull off their skins and crush them gently with your hands.
• Note
• This is one of the more involved recipes in this book, but if you plan ahead and prep well, it's actually simple the evening of the dinner. Confit the pork a day or two in advance (remember, it will need to sit in the brine for 2 days before that!). Roast the tomatoes and potatoes in the morning, and then, closer to dinnertime, fry the potatoes and set them aside. The sautéing of the pork and steaming of the clams should be done at the last minute.

CHORIZO AND CLAMS, PORTUGUESE STYLE

Steps:

• In a large pot or sauté pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion begins to wilt, about 3 minutes. Crumble the chorizo into the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to firm, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, bay leaf, wine, and water and bring to a boil. Cover partially and cook until the liquid is reduced and the mixture is saucy, 5 minutes.
• Add the shellfish to the pan, cover all the way, and cook until the shells open and their meat is slightly firm, about 5 minutes. Discard any shellfish that fail to open, then serve right away.

STEAMED CLAMS WITH CHORIZO, CITRUS AND SAFFRON AIOLI

Steps:

• Heat olive oil. Add the garlic cloves and let infuse the oil. Slice chorizo into 1/2-inch coins. Add chorizo into pan and render. Add clams. Pour wine over clams. Cover pan and let clams steam, about 5 minutes, or until all the clams have opened. Once cooked through, discard any clams that have not opened. Finish by squeezing half an orange over clams. Remove clams and chorizo using slotted spoon into large bowl. With the remaining broth, whisk in Saffron Aioli. Pour mixture over clams and chorizo. Sprinkle with parsley.
• Steep saffron in hot water. In a blender, add garlic, egg yolks, almonds, salt, orange juice, saffron and blend. While blending, drizzle in the olive oil and emulsify. Thin with a little water, if desired.

CLAMS WITH CHORIZO, PEPPERS, AND POTATOES

Steps:

• Cook onions and pepper in oil in a 12-inch heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat, covered, 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, peel potatoes and cut into 3/4-inch pieces.
• Add potatoes to skillet and cook, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are almost tender and vegetables begin to brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Add wine and briskly simmer, uncovered, 2 minutes.
• Add chorizo and clams and cook, covered, shaking skillet occasionally, until clams open wide, 6 to 10 minutes (discard any clams that remain unopened after 10 minutes). Divide among bowls and sprinkle with parsley.

BAKED RICE WITH CHORIZO AND CLAMS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat a large, heavy ovenproof skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat. Swirl in oil. Cook chorizo, stirring often, until edges are browned, about 2 minutes. Stir in onion and garlic. Cook until translucent, about 3 minutes.
• Stir in rice to coat, then wine. Bring to a boil. Cook until skillet is almost dry. Add stock and water. Bring to a boil.
• Transfer skillet to oven. Bake for 10 minutes. Add clams. Bake until clams open and rice absorbs all the liquid, about 10 minutes. Let stand, covered, for 10 minutes before serving.

CLAMS WITH CHORIZO

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan (preferably one that can also be used for serving) over high heat. When it begins to smoke, add the chorizo and cook until just beginning to color, 2 minutes. Add the onion and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until the onion is translucent, 2 minutes.
• Add the garlic, cockles, clam juice and wine. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the cockles are open and warmed through, 5 to 7 minutes. (Discard any cockles that do not open.) Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with bread.

CLAMS AND CHORIZO WITH TOMATO AND GARLIC

Steps:

• Cook garlic and chorizo in oil in a 4- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until garlic is golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and bring to a simmer, breaking up any large pieces. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened, about 15 minutes.
• Stir in clams and cook, covered, over moderately high heat, stirring once, until clams open, 9 to 12 minutes. (Discard any that have not opened after 12 minutes.) Serve immediately.

PORTUGUESE CHICKEN WITH CHORIZO AND CLAMS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to broil and place the red peppers, skin-side up on a baking sheet for approximately 10 minutes or until all the skin is blackened.
• Remove the red peppers from the oven and place them in an airtight container or bowl covered in plastic wrap to sweat and cool for 5 minutes. The skin will then be easy to peel off.
• Reduce the heat of the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Meanwhile, place the chicken in a bowl and add the smoked paprika, paprika, chorizo, salt, pepper and mix well.
• In a pan, heat the canola oil on high heat. Add the chicken and fry until crispy on all sides, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chorizo and do the same for another 2 minutes. Add the potatoes and onions and stir.
• Slice the skinless, roasted red peppers into long strips and add to the pan, along with all the juices. Place the smashed garlic on top of the chicken and season with salt and pepper.
• Put the pan in the oven for approximately 25 minutes, or until the chicken is fork tender.
• Remove from oven. Add the clams and kale. Cook for another 10 minutes.
• Remove and plate, garnishing with fresh parsley, chives, a drizzle of olive oil and some crusty (Portuguese) bread on the side.
• Cook's Notes:.
• Chorizo can be replaced by bacon cut in pieces. Kale can be replaced by baby spinach.

WHITE BEANS WITH CHORIZO, CLAMS AND SHRIMP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a Dutch oven, cook the chorizo in oil, over medium heat, until the chorizo has rendered some fat and begins to brown, about 5 minutes; add bell pepper and cook until it starts to soften, 3 minutes more.
• Add the onion and cook until it softens, 5 minutes; add garlic and cook until fragrant, 3 minutes.
• Stir in the dried beans, water, and bay leaf; bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
• Cover tightly and bake in oven for one hour; add salt, stir, and continue cooking, covered, until beans are tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• The consistency should be like a thin stew, if not, stir in a little water; remove bay leaf and discard.
• Season to taste with more salt and pepper.
• NOTE: The dish can be prepared to this point a day ahead of time and refrigerated.
• In a large skillet (that has a tight fitting lid) heat oil over medium heat and cook garlic and parsley 3 minutes; add white wine and reduce to a thin syrup, about 3 minutes.
• Add crushed tomatoes and cook until slightly reduced, 5 minutes.
• Add in shrimp and clams, cover tightly, and raise heat to high; cook, shaking pan often, until clams open, about 5 minutes.
• Stir clams and shrimp into warm beans and heat through; taste and adjust seasoning.
• Ladle stew into shallow soup bowls and garnish each with 2 teaspoons chopped pepperoncini and parsley, if desired.

GRILLED PORK CHOPS WITH CLAMS AND CHORIZO

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.
• Cut 1/4 inch off tops of garlic heads and put heads, cut sides up, on a sheet of foil. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and wrap tightly in foil, then roast in oven until garlic is soft when pierced with tip of a knife, about 45 minutes.
• While garlic roasts, heat remaining 1/4 cup olive oil in a 3- to 4-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Add bay leaves and cook, stirring, until leaves begin to brown, about 10 seconds. Reduce heat to moderate, then add onion, carrot, celery, and chorizo and cook, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, cloves, red-pepper flakes, and black pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add wine and bring to a boil, then add broth and reserved clam juice. Simmer, uncovered, until reduced to about 2 cups, about 15 minutes.
• While tomato sauce simmers, squeeze pulp from garlic cloves and force through a medium-mesh sieve into a bowl using a rubber spatula, discarding solids. Whisk purée into tomato sauce. Discard bay leaves and cloves, then keep sauce warm while grilling chops.
• Prepare grill for cooking. If using a charcoal grill, open vents on bottom of grill, then light charcoal. Charcoal fire is medium-hot when you can hold your hand 5 inches above grill rack for 3 to 4 seconds. If using a gas grill, preheat burners on high, covered, 10 minutes, then reduce heat to moderate.
• Pat pork chops dry and sprinkle on both sides with salt. Grill pork chops on lightly oiled grill rack, covered only if using a gas grill, turning over once, until thermometer inserted 2 inches into center of a chop (do not touch bone) registers 145°F, 12 to 14 minutes total. Transfer chops to a plate and keep warm, loosely covered with foil.
• Add clams to sauce and cook just until clams plump and edges begin to curl, 30 to 45 seconds. Stir parsley into sauce along with any meat juices accumulated on plate.
• Serve chops topped with clams and sauce.

CHORIZO CLAMS

Steps:

• 1. In a heavy stockpot over medium-high heat, add the canola oil and cook the chorizo for 3 to 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add the onion, peppers, salt, and garlic and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until the onion has softened. Add the chili flakes and jalapeno and cook for 2 minutes more. Then add the tequila and chicken stock. Bring to a boil and add the clams and chopped cilantro. Cover tightly and cook until all the clams open, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once. Discard any unopened clams.
• 2. While the clams are steaming, drizzle the bread with olive oil and broil or grill until just crisp, about 45 seconds each side.
• 3. Divide the clams into 2 shallow serving bowls and ladle the cooking liquid on top. Squeeze the lemon over the clams. Garnish with the bread and a cilantro sprig.

CLAMS WITH CHORIZO, LEEKS, TOMATO, AND WHITE WINE

Steps:

• In a large sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat, then add the chorizo and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the chorizo has rendered its fat and is crisp and browned at the edges, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the leeks, and chopped garlic and stir to coat the vegetables with the oil. Season with salt and pepper and continue to cook until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the wine, increase the heat to high, and cook until the wine is reduced by half. Add the tomatoes and let the mixture come to a high boil. Add the clams, working in batches if necessary to ensure that they're in a single layer. Cover the pan and cook until the clams have opened. Discard any unopened clams.
• While the clams cook, toast the bread, then rub the surface of each piece of bread with the cut side of one of the remaining garlic cloves.
• Serve the hot clam mixture in a shallow serving bowl with the garlic toast alongside.

STEAMED CLAMS WITH CHORIZO AND TEQUILA

Steps:

• Heat a heavy, medium pot over medium heat. Add the chorizo, breaking up the large pieces with a wooden spoon. Saute until almost crisp, about 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chorizo to paper towels to drain.
• Add the butter and onions and cook over medium-high heat until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 3 minutes longer. Add the tequila and clam juice and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, scraping up the browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Add the clams to the pot, cover and reduce the heat to medium. Cook until the clams open wide, 10 to 12 minutes (discard any clams that remain unopened). Return the chorizo to the pot and stir to combine. Divide between 2 bowls, sprinkle with the chopped cilantro and serve with the loaf of sourdough.

BRAISED SWORDFISH COLLAR WITH CHORIZO AND CLAMS

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a 7-to-8-quart enameled cast-iron Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the fish with salt, then cook until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Add the onion, garlic, fennel, chile pepper and carrot to the pot; reduce the heat to medium and sweat the vegetables, about 2 minutes. Add the chorizo and cook until browned, about 2 more minutes. Add the sherry and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
• Crush the tomatoes with your hands and add to the pot with their juices. Add the saffron, chicken stock and clams and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook until the clams just begin to open, about 3 minutes. Add the swordfish to the pot and simmer, covered, until the swordfish is cooked through and the clams open, about 7 more minutes. (Discard any clams that do not open.) Stir in the olives, parsley and basil. Serve with grilled bread.