Discover some fantastic recipes for coquina clams

Coquinas are delicious and very popular, especially in Cádiz and Huelva. Coquinas are also called tellinas and they can be prepared in a very quick and easy way. You won't need many ingredients to ensure a delicious recipe. Be sure to serve coquinas to your guests, they are a real delicacy that is certain to please!

What are tellinas?

Coquinas are small clams with a unique flavour and tender meat. They are bite-sized morsels that will tantalise even the most demanding of palates. The best thing about tellinas is that they are always prepared in the same way, the only thing that changes is the dressing that is added on top.

The tellinas are usually prepared in a frying pan or griddle, although some people prefer to bake them in the oven. Take note, as coquinas are generally served as a starter or appetiser to diners, so you will need to have a main dish. However, you can also serve the tellinas as part of the meal with many finger-food dishes.

Before revealing some recipes for coquina clams, it is important for you to know that the clams

must be washed very carefully before serving them to your guests. This is because the coquinas are found buried in the sand, at a shallow depth, so don't be surprised to buy the tellinas with sand still on them!

Cleaning coquina clams

Logically, it is thus necessary to remove the sand completely. But how do you do this? The cleaning of the tellinas consists of taking a large container, pouring the tellinas in, and covering them with plenty of water. You should also add a little salt and vinegar to the container so that the sand comes off more easily.

The cleaning process for the tellinas can take up to 90 minutes, between which you should

change the water three times (i.e. every half hour). Use a strainer to drain the water and replace it with clean water and a little vinegar and salt to remove all the impurities!

Best recipes for coquina clams

Coquinas with garlic: the traditional recipe from Huelva

Ingredients

750 grams of tellinas.
Five cloves of garlic.
White sherry wine, preferably Manzanilla.
A bunch of parsley.
Coarse salt.
Extra virgin olive oil.

Prepared by

Remember to start 90 minutes beforehand with the cleaning of the coquinas.
Drain the water from the coquinas.
Peel and chop the garlic into slices and put them on the fire until they begin to brown.
When the colour of the garlic begins to change, add the cleaned coquinas.
Add a little wine, a pinch of salt and the chopped parsley. You should only use a splash

of wine, as it should evaporate in a few minutes.

Cover the pan, preferably with a transparent lid.
Move the pan in small circles. This will allow the coquinas to knock into each other and cause

them to open.

Once most of the coquinas are open, remove from the heat.
Discard any coquinas that did not open and serve the rest immediately.
Accompany them with the wine and garlic reduction and sprinkle with chopped parsley

for garnish. You can add a squeeze of lime or lemon.

Baked coquinas

Ingredients

Half a kilo of coquinas.
Coarse salt.
Lemon.
A bunch of fresh parsley.
Extra virgin olive oil.
Four cloves of garlic.
White sherry wine.

Prepared by

When you have cleaned the coquinas, place them in a baking dish or on the oven tray.
Preheat the oven to 220 °C.
Pre-grease the baking dish or tray with a little extra virgin olive oil.
Place the coquinas in such a way that they are evenly spread out on the tray or container. Be

careful, as the coquinas should not be placed on top of each other.

Sprinkle the coquinas with another drizzle of olive oil, the chopped parsley and lemon.
Add a splash of white wine.
Add the garlic cloves, previously sliced.
Put the coquinas in the oven.
This recipe is very quick, as the coquinas will not need more than 15 minutes. They will

burst open as if they were popcorn!

It is very important to keep an eye on the coquinas while they are in the oven, as this

way you will know when they start to open.

Remove from the heat and discard the coquinas that have not opened.
Serve instantly.

Steamed coquinas

Ingredients

Half a kilo of coquinas.
Two cloves of garlic.
Extra virgin olive oil.
Abundant water.
Coarse salt.

Prepared by

Slice the garlic and add it to a saucepan with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
When the garlic begins to change colour, add the coquinas and a pinch of salt.
After a couple of minutes, add a glass of water and cover the pan.
When the water starts to boil, remove from the heat.
The coquinas should be open by then.
This recipe is similar to grilled coquinas, but somewhat healthier because it requires less oil.
Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with a squeeze of lemon.
The flavour of this recipe is much more natural!