Parmesan pink clams (machas) are a typical Chilean dish made with clams, a saltwater bivalve native to Chile known scientifically as “Mesodesma Donacium,” and Parmesan cheese.
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How to make Parmesan Pink Clams?
The inner flesh of pink clams is gray when raw but turns pink when cooked, undoubtedly one of the most cherished dishes for Chilean or foreign visitors to the northern region.
Nutritional Information
Category: Appetizers
Cuisine: Chilean
Calories: 250
Preparation: 30 minutes
Cooking: 15 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Parmesan Clams recipe
Ingredients
- 50 cleaned pink clams
- 30 clam shells washed
- 100 g of melted butter
- 1 ½ cups of creamy cheese
- ¾ cup of Parmesan cheese
- 100 ml of white wine
- 6 lemons
- Sea salt
- Pepper
Preparation
- Open the fresh clams with a knife by separating the shells. Remove the shells from the base with a sharp knife and set them aside.
- Thoroughly wash half of the shells, removing any sand or impurities. Remove the interiors of each clam tongue and wash them very well.
- Turn on and preheat the oven to 200°C (396°F) for at least 10 minutes.
- Place one clam in each shell (two if they are very small) on a baking tray.
- Cover each clam with a pinch of salt, a teaspoon of white wine, a teaspoon of butter, creamy cheese, grated Parmesan cheese, and a dash of pepper.
- Place in the preheated oven and cook for about 5 minutes until the clams are pink and the cheese has melted.
- Remove and serve the Parmesan clams immediately with a good chilled Chardonnay, accompanied by lemon halves for squeezing.
Parmesan Pink Clams in Clay with Cream
One of the most common variations of Parmesan clams is to prepare them in a base of sautéed onions to which about 200 ml of cream is added until it thickens.
Then, distribute them in clay dishes, covering everything with Parmesan cheese and finishing the cooking in an oven at 200°C for 15 minutes.
Did you know?
Clams are harvested along the entire Chilean coast using a process that can be quite unique, as harvesters locate them by feeling their feet sink into the wet sand.
