This simple stew is a mainstay along the coast of Portugal. The fat from the pork gives the garlicky sauce a real richness that's incredible with the salty clams. Best enjoyed with a chunk of crusty bread and a glass of chilled Portuguese white wine.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
- 500g boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 garlic cloves
- 120ml dry white wine
- 1 bay leaves
- ½ tablespoon smoked paprika
- ½ tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tin plum tomatoes, drained and crushed by hand
- ¼ teaspoon chilli flakes
- 250ml chicken stock or lower-sodium chicken broth, divided
- 500g baby charlotte potatoes (any waxy potato will do), halved
- 500g palourde clams, scrubbed
- Chopped fresh coriander, for garnish
- Lemon wedges and crusty bread, to serve
Season the pork all over with sea salt and black pepper, and place in a large ziplock plastic bag. Crush 3 garlic cloves, and add to bag with wine, bay leaves, and paprika. Seal and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 180°C.
Remove pork from marinade, and pat dry. Remove and discard garlic and bay leaves; reserve remaining marinade. Heat a glug of oil in a large casserole pot over medium-high. Add half of pork, and cook, stirring once or twice, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer pork to a plate. Repeat with remaining half of pork.
Chop remaining 3 garlic cloves, and add to the pot with onion and remaining teaspoons oil; cook, stirring often, until golden, about 6 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, red pepper, and reserved marinade
Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring often, 3 minutes. Return cooked pork to the pot and stir in half the stock until pork is mostly submerged. Cover and bake in preheated oven until pork is fork-tender, 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours.
Stir in potatoes and remaining stock. Cover and bake until potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.
Transfer pot to stovetop over high heat, and add the palourde clams. Cover and cook until clams open, 3 to 5 minutes. (Remove and discard any unopened clams.) Season with remaining salt and remaining black pepper.
Garnish with cilantro. Serve with lemon wedges and crusty bread.