Garlic and oloroso clams

Method

1. Put the clams in a large bowl of cold, salted water. Taste the water – it needs to be as salty as seawater otherwise the clams will drown. Leave them for 30 minutes to draw out the grit, then rinse under cold water and drain in a colander.
2. Meanwhile, use a sharp knife to make a cross in the bottom of each tomato, then put them in a bowl and cover with boiling water from a kettle. Leave them for a minute or so, then drain and cool under running cold water. Peel off the skins – they should come away easily. Halve and deseed the tomatoes, then chop finely with a sharp knife.
3. In a large saucepan with a lid, heat the oil over a medium-high heat. Add the shallots and fry for 5-10 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and fry for 2 minutes, then add the sherry and 100ml water. Bubble for 5-10 minutes, then add the clams and cover with the lid. Shake the pan after a minute and again after around 3-4 minutes. Once the clams have all opened (discard any that remain closed), remove from the heat.
4. Toss the chopped tomatoes and parsley into the clam mixture, then season (you’ll probably only need black pepper as the clams will be salty). Add a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of sherry, then serve with good crusty bread.