Clams with Prawns, Peas & Wild Garlic
Clams with Prawns, Peas & Wild Garlic
Ready to dunk that crusty bread
Are you a shell fish lover?
If not, clams are an easy way to lower yourself into the water of the shell fish world.
Easy to cook and tasty too, and with those shells, you get to slurp up any sauce that gets caught up in them.
I know I’m wild garlic crazy this time of the year and I’m trying to use it in as many different creative ways as I can.
In previous years I’ve always taken the easy way out and made compound butter, hummus, a few pesto’s and of course I do go down the wild garlic cornichons road when the seeds are in abundance.
This year I’m branching out and making some dishes that I know are really easy to make with the most amount of flavour in the most creative ways.
Let’s face it who needs to cook a home dish for your family that takes an age to put together.
Another thing about this clam dish is it looks great if you’ve got a colourful serving dish when putting it on the family table, and a family sharing dish this is.
Big hunks of bread to soak up the sauce that’s left right at the bottom of the bowl, that’s where the flavour is and I dare you not to get every little drop in your mouth.
I’m a bit of a serving dish collector, some would call me a hoarder (you know who you are) but I would argue that I need all the dishes I have in my kitchen cupboards for my work. Problem is, I’m rapidly running out of space in the kitchen the lovely Mr G has made for me.
It’s not a huge space, I can’t afford an expensive kitchen, all my cupboards are from a very well know DIY company.
But I’ve found that no matter how much I try to keep them tidy, arrange them in some sort of order, stop the insides keeping the doors from closing, it always comes back to the same thought, I need more cupboards.
There seems to be a few obstacles in my way.
Firstly, I don’t have the funds and secondly the thought of moving house and packing up all my kitchen wares sends a shiver of dread down my spine.
So I’m staying put and just getting on with putting some great flavours in my food to share .
Go on, give it a go.
Enjoy your sweet life.
What You Need
2kg Fresh or Frozen Clams – See Tip Box
250 g Peeled Prawns – Fresh or Frozen
1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
4 large shallots – Chopped finely
4-5 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme – See Tip Box
200g Frozen Peas
1 Tablespoon White Wine Vinegar
300ml Hot Vegetable Stock
50g Wild Garlic Leaves – Washed, dried – See Tip Box
6 Rashers of Streaky Bacon – Chopped
100g Mix of Baby Spinach & Watercress – See Tip Box
1 Lime
Sea Salt
Fresh Black Pepper
All in together
How It’s Done
If using fresh clams, wash the clams under fresh running water – Discard any broken ones.
Heat the oil in a wok or large saucepan until steaming hot.
Add the bacon and let it cook quickly until the fat has rendered and the bacon is crispy.
Add the spring onions, peas and thyme. Stir fry for 1 minute.
Add the clams, white wine vinegar and stock.
Cover the wok and steam for 3-4 minutes until the shells open – See Tip Box
Add the chopped wild garlic leaves, baby spinach and watercress and raw peeled prawns.
Cook until the greens are wilted and the prawns are just cooked - See Tip Box
Taste, check and adjust the seasoning to taste.
When serving, squeeze over juice from half a lime per serving
Add those clams
Tip Box
Wild Garlic – Can’t get your hands on any wild garlic leaves? No problem, use 1 large clove of wild garlic finely chopped.
Baby spinach & watercress – If you only want to use one of these, that’s up to you. Missing out on the watercress will take out a little bit of the peppery flavour.
Cooking Clams – 1) If using frozen clams, read the cooking instructions
2) Discard any clams that have broken shells before cooking and any clams that do not open by the end of the cooking.
Prawns – Don’t over cook the prawns or they will have a rubbery texture.
Thyme – No fresh thyme? No problem add 2 tsps. of dried thyme when you add the greens.
Ready to serve
