Stew of sausage and clams

Tamara West

I used New Zealand wild caught clams — vacuum-packed and fully cooked — in this recipe, which makes preparation for the dish very simple. Just add the clams at the end to warm through. However, in the method below I have given you instructions for clams that need to be cooked. Ensure they are well cleaned before using, otherwise your dish could be a bit gritty. This makes a great first course or lunch dish.

Ingredients

300 g	Pork sausages, spicy (Main)
3 Tbsp	Olive oil
1	Onion, finely sliced
1 cup	White wine
6 cloves	Garlic, peeled and left whole, or halved if large
½ cup	Chicken stock
400 g	Canned tomatoes, chopped in juice
1 kg	Clams, well scrubbed and purged of any sand and grit (Main)
¼ cup	Fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

1. Poach the sausages in water in a frying pan for 5 minutes or until they are just cooked through. (I used thin pork sausages). Remove and slice sausages about 1cm thick slices. Set aside.
2. Wipe out frying pan, then add the olive oil, onion and garlic and cook over a very low heat until the onions and garlic are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the wine and allow to bubble up, then add the chicken stock and tomatoes. Cook until the sauce has reduced a little.
3. Increase the heat, add the clams and cover the frying pan with lid or with aluminium foil. Cook until the clams open, about 3 minutes. Add reserved sausage slices to the pan and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir through the chopped parsley.
4. Serve with crusty bread.