There are many variations on the açorda theme in Portugal, but this was the most memorable for me – we were sitting on the balcony of a cliff-top restaurant in Madeira, our heads in the clouds and the sparkling blue sea down below.
Serves 2
150g crusty white bread
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
A big handful of coriander, roughly chopped (including stalks)
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
Salt
500g clams
1 small onion, finely chopped
300ml dry white wine
1 egg, beaten with salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 170C/gas mark 3½.
Tear the bread into pieces roughly the size of ping pong balls and spread them on a baking tray. Drizzle liberally with olive oil and put them into the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, giving them a shuffle and turning a few times.
Whiz the coriander, garlic and a couple of big pinches of salt in a food processor with the olive oil to make a paste (or use a pestle and mortar).
Heat a wide pan on a high flame and chuck in the clams, onion and wine. Cover and simmer for a few minutes until the clams open.
Use a spoon to pick out and discard any clams that haven't opened, toss in the toasted bread chunks, then pour in the egg and stir well.
Put a lid on for a couple of minutes until the bread has softened, then whip it off, give it a stir and reduce rapidly on a high heat for 2-3 minutes.
Turn off the heat and mix in most of the herb paste, keeping back about a tablespoonful.
Season, then serve immediately with the rest of the coriander paste spooned over the top.
• This is an edited excerpt from Bought, Borrowed & Stolen by Allegra McEvedy (Conran Octopus, £25) Buy a copy for £20 from the Guardian bookshop
