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Almejas a la marinera is one of my favorite ways to enjoy clams in Spain! These tender Spanish clams are cooked in a flavorful sauce, and tastes amazing with bread and a glass of white wine or sherry.
If you love Spanish seafood recipes, make sure to try these recipes for salt cod croquettes and clams with chorizo.
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Introduction
Some of my best childhood memories are of the few times we went clamming in Cape Cod, which was an adventurous experience with hours of digging! But the best part was the clambake, complete with the fresh, sweet clams we’d caught–which tasted better because of all the work involved.
Here in Spain, there are wonderful clams all over the country, and almejas a la marinera is a staple dish at my mother-in-law’s house, especially around the holidays. Marinera in Spanish simply means that it relates to the sea, and unlike the US version of the Italian marinara sauce, salsa marinera doesn’t generally use tomatoes. Nonetheless, it’s a delicious Spanish sauce, and these clams are a very easy dish to prepare!
Ingredients
Wondering what ingredients you need to make almejas a la marinera? Fortunately, this recipe takes basic ingredients, and you may already have them in your fridge or pantry. Let’s talk about the key ingredients.
- Small Clams: Make sure to only use closed clams; throw out any open ones. My special cooking technique ensures that no bad clams will spoil the dish!
- White Wine: Choose a dry white wine or dry Spanish sherry.
- Breadcrumbs: This thickens the sauce.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Almejas a la Marinera
If you’d like to see the full ingredients and instructions, scroll to the bottom of the post for the printable recipe card.
- Place the clams in a bowl of salted water in the fridge for a few hours or up to overnight. This helps remove any sand inside the clams. (image 1)
- Add ½ cup of water and a bay leaf to a pot and bring to a boil. Cook 6-8 clams at a time, cooking them just until they open. Discard any clams that stay shut. Save the clam liquid for later. (image 2)
- Heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet, then add the onion, garlic, pepper, and parsley and sauté until the onion is translucent. (image 3)
- Add the breadcrumbs and paprika and sauté for a minute more. (image 4)
- Add the white wine and allow it to reduce, scraping off the brown fond from the bottom of the pan. (image 5)
- Add the liquid from cooking the clams and cook for 5 minutes, then adjust salt to taste. (image 6)
- Add the clams to the sauce, cover, and cook for no more than 5 minutes on low. (image 7)
- Sprinkle the clams with fresh parsley, drizzle with fresh lemon juice, and enjoy immediately! (image 8)
Recipe FAQs
Any small clam works well in this recipe, but the Spanish almeja fina are particularly well suited to this dish!
You only need to par-cook the clams in a little boiling water until they have opened. Then, simmer the clams in the sauce for 5 minutes. This prevents them from being overcooked and tough.
Add 6-8 clams at a time to a pot of ½ cup of boiling water with a bay leaf. The heat will encourage the clams to open quickly. If any clams stay shut, it’s dead and needs to be thrown out.
Serve
Almejas a la marinera are usually served around the holidays, often as one of many appetizers. Spaniards are sure to have plenty of bread for sopping up the delicious sauce, and pair the dish with a dry white wine like fino or manzanilla sherry.
Serve these almejas a la marinera as an appetizer for your Spanish Christmas feast. They taste wonderful with dishes like gambas cocidas (boiled shrimp), cured ham croquettes, baked gilt head bream with lemon, or slow-roasted Spanish lamb.
Expert Tips
- Soak the clams in a large bowl of salted water for a few hours to remove any sand inside.
- Discard any clams that stay closed when cooking them. Those are dead and can’t be eaten.
- Be careful not to overcook the clams. Only simmer them in the sauce for 5 minutes at the most.
Almejas a la Marinera (Spanish Style Clams)
Enjoy this authentic recipe for almejas a la marinera, a popular Spanish appetizer for Christmas dinner. These Spanish clams are so tasty!
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Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 135.89kcal
Instructions
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Place the clams in a large bowl of salted water for a few hours (up to overnight) in the refrigerator. This should remove any sand that was inside of the clam.
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Add ½ cup of water and the bay leaf to a large, heavy-based pot and bring to a boil over a medium high heat.
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Add about 6-8 clams at a time, cooking only until the clams open to prevent overcooking. Discard any clams that stay closed; they are dead and will spoil the flavor. Save the cooking water for later.
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Heat four tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a heavy pot, then sauté the onion, garlic, pepper and parsley over medium high heat until the onions are translucent.
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Add the breadcrumbs and paprika and sauté for a minute or so, then add the white wine. Cook until the liquid has reduced.
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Add the liquid from cooking the clams and cook for about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt levels if necessary.
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Add the clams, cover, and cook for no more than 5 minutes on low.
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Serve the clams and sauce in bowls garnished with more fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice. Enjoy immediately!
Notes
- Soak the clams in a large bowl of salted water for a few hours to remove any sand inside.
- Discard any clams that stay closed when cooking them. Those are dead and can’t be eaten.
- Be careful not to overcook the clams. Only simmer them in the sauce for 5 minutes at the most.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 135.89kcal | Carbohydrates: 5.44g | Protein: 4.01g | Fat: 9.74g | Saturated Fat: 1.36g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6.86g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 6.8mg | Sodium: 22.88mg | Potassium: 114.71mg | Fiber: 0.99g | Sugar: 1.69g | Vitamin A: 577.97IU | Vitamin C: 18.92mg | Calcium: 23.88mg | Iron: 0.89mg
Photography by Giulia Verdinelli
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