Dorset Clams with Coppa, Somerset Cider & Brandy

Dorset Clams with Coppa, Somerset Cider & Brandy

With two eager spaniels in the back of the car and my faithful Jack Russell, Minnie, poised on the passenger seat, we are heading off on a special reconnaissance mission. It's March and a disappointingly grey day. However, typical British weather will not be dulling our spirits; I have been given word that there is treasure to collect. After a short half-hour drive along one of my most loved scenic roads, we cross the border into Dorset, where incomers are greeted by Thomas Hardy's picture-perfect Wessex. Pretty stone cottages flank the winding lanes, until roads stretch out with everlasting views of cliff edges and rough seas. Buckets, spades and rakes are unloaded before unleashing the dogs to zoom across the empty beach. We head to a gravelly, muddy tidal flat, and there I begin scavenging for treasure. I strike gold and manage to carry a decent haul of 'palourdes', or clams, back to the car, along with three sodden, yet gleeful, dogs.

In a delightful coalescence of my local landscapes, I have crafted this recipe in celebration of the wonderful adventures I frequently enjoy in my neighbouring counties. A reminder to get out and explore what is right on your doorstep.

Ingredients

Spring · Serves 4

  • 500g (1lb 2oz)

    Dorset clams

  • 1 tbsp

    extra virgin olive oil

  • a small knob of grass-fed butter

  • 1 small

    onion, very finely chopped

  • 50g (1¾oz)

    coppa ham, sliced into small pieces

  • 3

    garlic cloves, finely chopped

  • 100ml (3½fl oz)

    Somerset cider brandy

  • a small handful

    thyme, leaves picked

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Recipe image

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Mr Organic, Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil 100% Italian

Mr Organic, Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil 100% Italian

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Mr Organic, Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil 100% Italian

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Method

Rinse the clams in a colander and ensure you discard any that are open and do not close when tapped sharply.

Take a medium-sized, lidded pan and place over a medium heat. Drizzle in the olive oil and add the butter, then add the onion and sweat for about 5–6 minutes, until it has softened. Add the ham and garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Increase the heat and tip in the clams, along with the cider brandy and most of the thyme, bringing it to the boil. Place the lid on and cook for 5 minutes, or until the clams have opened. Discard any that haven't opened.

Finish with a few more fresh thyme leaves and serve immediately with butter-laden crusty bread.
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