clams

Manzanilla has become a really popular drink with me since I first tasted it in the smashing town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda in the province of Cadiz. It is an acquired taste. A dry sherry for which this location is so famous. The town is full of bodegas producing marvellous manzanilla.

Winter approaches and I can look forward to sampling the best stews I have eaten anywhere in the world. The stews of Spain.

One of them is a speciality in Catalunya. The Romseco de Peix contains peppers, almonds and saffron.

This recipe uses clams and monkfish but you could just as easily use prawns and mussels.

Spanish tomatoes are superb when used as a sauce. Here is the recipe for clams in a sauce laden with tomatoes and garlic. This dish is all about preparation. The actual cooking time for the clams is minimal. Drop them raw into the tomato sauce and they will open up and release their juices into the sauce within a minute or two.

Clams are a delight. So simple to prepare and cook. So easy on the palette. So memorable to taste and savour. If you have previously fought shy of clams, I urge you not to clam up but to open your mind - and mouth - to a new experience. Here's a recipe for four people using clams and garlic.

Many people would turn their noses up if offered some cockles in a food market in, for example, London. The same people, however, may dive into a plate of clams when on holiday in Spain. Effectively the same food. Perhaps it is the addition of a tasty onion and garlic sauce that makes the difference. As is the case with this recipe.

Some Spanish food simply has to be cooked in alcohol. Ideally wine or sherry. Many of the very best dishes served all over the country wouldn't be as memorable as they are were they not prepared using the best alcohol from Spain. Be careful when preparing such meals. A slip of the hand cannot only lead to you losing the plot when cooking, but can destroy the taste of the food. We are going to offer you 6 recipes, over three days, all of which benefit from booze.

Here's a recipe that sees classy clams served with the finest wine or sherry from Jerez de la Frontera. Shellfish will survive just so long as there is water in their shells. That is why you should always discard those with cracked shells  or those that remain closed once cooked. To buy the shellfish while they are still alive is the best way to ensure they are fresh.

Hello everyone! Guest blogger Núria from Spanish Recipes, with a seasonal dish: Fava beans and green peas will be the main characters today!

Go to your fishmonger too and get fresh clams. Cheap and daring  ingredients for a different and savory dish. Give it a try!

Get the recipe.