Amêijoas à Bulhão Pato
Fresh clams, fresh cilantro and dry white wine come together in this Portuguese seafood — 60 minutes, 6 steps, and the kind of result worth repeating. Scroll down for the ingredient checklist, a serving scaler and unit converter, and the method broken into 6 steps.
You'll mainly reach for pan and steamer. At medium difficulty across 6 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's pescatarian — fish but no meat.
What you'll need
Shopping list (4)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Soak the clams in cold salted water for at least 1 hour, changing the water once or twice so they purge any grit, then discard any that stay open when tapped.
- Thinly slice the garlic and finely chop the cilantro stems, keeping the leaves separate for finishing.
- Warm the olive oil with the garlic and bay leaf in a wide pan over medium heat and cook gently for 2 to 3 minutes until the garlic is fragrant but not browned.
- Add the drained clams and the cilantro stems, raise the heat, pour in the white wine and cover the pan to steam.
- Cook for 4 to 6 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until the clams have opened, then discard any that remain stubbornly shut.
- Squeeze in the lemon juice, season with pepper and toss through the cilantro leaves, then serve immediately with crusty bread to soak up the garlicky broth.
You'll use: Pan · Steamer
Ingredient substitutions
- Lemon
- lime · 1 tbsp white wine vinegar per lemon
- White Wine
- chicken or vegetable stock + 1 tsp vinegar
What to serve with Amêijoas à Bulhão Pato
Tips & common questions
How long does Amêijoas à Bulhão Pato take to make?
About 60 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 6 steps and 9 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of lemon?
Try lime. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
How should I store leftovers?
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in an airtight container, and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout.
Related recipes
Amêijoas à Bulhão Pato is an original Portuguese recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Amêijoas à Bulhão Pato.jpg by ricardo, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.