Marinade
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves – roughly Chopped
½ tbsp dried oregano
Pork and clam
500g pork leg – cut into 1cm cubes
Olive oil for frying
1 fresh bay leaf
1½ tbsp harissa
350ml white wine or vinho verde
300g long grain rice
1 tsp sea salt
500g clams – rinsed
TO SERVE: crusty bread, parsley and green salad
1 Combine all marinade ingredients in a large bowl and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add diced pork and leave to marinate, covered in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
2Remove pork from refrigerator and bring back to room temperature. Fry marinated pork over a medium heat in 1 tablespoon of olive oil for about 5 minutes or until browned all over. Add bay leaf and harissa, stir well and cook for around 8-10 minutes. Turn the heat down to low-medium heat, add wine, cover with lid and simmer gently for 45-60 minutes, or until tender.
3Add rice to a pan with 500ml of water and 1 teaspoon of salt, and bring to the boil. Simmer until just cooked, then drain in a colander. Add rice to pork along with a cup of boiling water. The mixture should be saucy.
4Scatter clams on top and put a lid on the pan. Cook over a medium-high heat for 10 minutes and serve with bread, parsley and a simple green salad.
A medium weight tempranillo (or tinta roriz as it’s known in Portugal) would pair well with this dish, but an interesting alternative is the nouveau style red from Peter Dredge, with the buoyant red fruits of pinot noir and the savoury flavour of shiraz. The Derwent Valley is a cool spot for shiraz, delivering grapes with mild-mannered tannins and a compelling acidity. This quirky blend gives the Meadowbank Nouveau both the weight to handle the meaty richness of the pork and the acid energy to equal the sea-fresh juiciness of the clams.