Fideos con Almejas a la Andaluza

Fideos con almejas a la andaluza belong to the coast, especially the southern tables that know what to do with a handful of good shellfish and a packet of short noodles. This is not pasta with sauce. It is a guiso, a spoonable stew, where the fideos swell in the broth and take the sea into themselves.

The method that decides it is simple: steam the clams first and save every drop of their liquor. Strain it clean, because sand has no place in your lunch, then use it as the backbone of the broth. The sofrito, the slow onion and tomato base, gives sweetness. The clam liquor gives the dish its name. Add the clams back only at the end, or they'll turn hard and sulky.

If you can't find Spanish almejas finas or chirlas, use small littleneck clams or Manila clams. They are not the same, but they behave properly in the pot. If the clams smell tired, cook something else that day. Sourcing wins. No hace falta haber pisado España, you don't need to have set foot in Spain, but you do need clean, live clams and the patience not to rush the sofrito.

Use fideos gordos, short thick Spanish noodles, if you can find them. Broken thin spaghetti works in a far kitchen, though it softens faster and drinks less broth, so watch it closely. My Margin beside this one says: "colar el caldo," strain the broth. A small warning, but it saves the whole cazuela. Siempre sale, si lo sigues.