Pork and Clams in cataplana

The ‘Havana’ thread on Amuse bouche, which devolved into a discussion of Portuguese food, inspired me to put up this recipe, which I sometimes also cook with mussels. Good rib-sticking stuff!

It’s a good exercise to write down your favourite recipes from time to time, helps you analyse what you actually do and see if there’s a better way. I’ve been cooking this for years without really thinking about how I do it.

Shoulder pork, cubed, allow 3oz/90g per person
small glass of port
small glass of white wine
30 clams
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
5-6 sticks celery, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
50 gr streaky bacon, diced
90g coarse sausage, wjieska, chorizo or similar, cut into chunks
2 tbsp demi glace (optional but does give a nice unctuous sauce – or you could chuck in half a pig’s trotter)
handful flat leaf parsley/coriander mixed, chopped fine
sea salt and black pepper to season

Marinade the pork and sausage in the port. Wash the clams.
Preheat oven to 230 degrees.
Unclip cataplana. Place one half on stove and heat half the oil. Fry the bacon, garlic, onion and celery just until it changes colour. Put the remaining oil in the other half, heat it and brown the pork.
Combine the ingredients in one half of the cataplana, add the clams, sausage, wine, demi glace and the marinade, season lightly (easy on the salt as the clams have plenty). Bring to the boil then take off heat.
Clip both halves of the cataplana together and cook in the oven for approx 30 minutes.
Stirl in the parsley and coriander before serving.