MARIA'S COOKBOOK
Appetizers

Almejas a la marinera

Maria's Cookbook KitchenUpdated October 5, 2026
Almejas a la marinera
Prep1 hr 10 min
Cook20 min
Total1 hr 30 min
Servings4
Calories186 kcal
CuisineSpanish
CourseAppetizers

Almejas a la marinera are Galicia’s clams “sailor style”: opened in a sauce of onion, garlic, paprika, wine and tomato, thickened just enough to cling to every shell. Where Portugal’s Bulhão Pato keeps clams minimalist, Spain’s marinera wraps them in a blanket.

The flour-thickened, paprika-warmed sauce is the signature — built in the same pan, ready by the time the clams have purged their sand.

It is tapas-bar food that behaves beautifully at home: one pan, half an hour, and a sauce that makes the bread ration disappear before the clams do.

Almejas a la Marinera Recipe

What you need

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds fresh clams (Manila or littleneck)
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional but recommended)
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 1 cup fish stock (or water)
  • 1 medium tomato, grated (or ½ cup tomato purée)
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Lemon wedges and crusty bread, for serving
Cook along

Instructions

  1. Soak the clams in cold salted water for an hour to purge the sand; rinse well and discard any that stay open.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet and cook the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add the garlic and paprika and cook 1 to 2 minutes more.
  4. Sprinkle in the flour, stir, and cook 1 minute.
  5. Add the wine, scraping the pan, and reduce 2 to 3 minutes.
  6. Add the stock and tomato and simmer 5 to 7 minutes, until slightly thickened. Season.
  7. Add the clams, cover, and cook 5 to 7 minutes, shaking occasionally, until they open. Discard any that refuse.
  8. Finish with parsley and serve at once with lemon and bread.
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