Scotland is renowned for its seafood, with more coastline than France and Spain combined. As such, the seafood industry is a vital part of the Scottish economy. Ironically, much of our seafood ends up on the plates of the Spanish and French. I love to vacation with my family on the south coast of Spain every year and I spend the week enjoying Scottish fish and shellfish from the markets there. I have always loved clams as they are easy to cook and are fun to eat. This simple, scrumptious recipe combines crisp bacon and kale, which work well with the sweet clams. Like most molluscs, the key is to cook them very quickly. While excellent anytime of the year, the meal is ideally enjoyed during the summer months.

Ingredients

2kg /4-½Ib fresh clams
50g /2oz unsalted butter
2 shallots, finely diced
150g bacon, diced
200ml / 7floz white wine
200g bunch kale, chopped
100ml / 3-1/2floz double cream
Salt/pepper to taste

Instructions

Wash the clams under cold running water and drain them a few times, as they can gather sand inside. Discard any that are open. Heat up a large pot, adding the chopped bacon and the chopped shallots. Cook until the bacon has started to get crispy. Add the clams and the white wine and place the lid over top – the heat from the pot creates steam, cooking the clams very quickly. Once the clams have opened, add the shredded kale and the double cream, mix in. Bring back up to the boil and serve as soon as the kale is cooked.

Gabh tlachd!
Gary
www.garymacchef.com