Named for a 19th-century poet, amêijoas à Bulhão Pato is the simplest of triumphs: fresh clams thrown into hot olive oil with sliced garlic, a splash of white wine and a handful of coriander, covered for the minute it takes them to open, then finished with lemon.
The sauce — oil, wine, clam liquor and coriander — is the prize, and bread is non-negotiable for mopping it. In Armação de Pêra, where clams and cockles come off local sands, it is the standard opener to a seafood dinner, ordered to share while the grills and pots get going.
Fresh clams, good oil, restraint: get those right and there is nothing better to begin with.
⭐ Must-try:
Amêijoas à Bulhão Pato
Highlights
- Clams in olive oil, garlic and wine
- Finished with coriander and lemon
- The garlicky sauce is the point
- Bread essential for mopping
- The classic seafood-meal opener
Frequently asked questions
Is it a starter?
Usually — it is the traditional opener to a seafood meal, ordered to share.
Why the bread?
To soak the sauce of oil, wine, garlic and clam liquor, which is the best part.