**Alentejana pork and clam stew (carne de porco a alentejana)** The combination of pork and clams in this dish is unusual, but creates a rich flavour that makes it easy to see why this stew has become so popular in Portugal

Ingredients

• 1 kg pork belly, rind removed, cut into 2 cm cubes
• 100 ml dry white wine
• 500 ml (2 cups) milk
• 4 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 8 shallots, thinly sliced
• 200 ml vermouth
• 1.5 kg clams or pippies, purged
• 375 ml (1½ cups) chicken stock
• 1 bunch thyme, tied with kitchen string
• chopped coriander leaves and fried potatoes, to serve

Roast capsicum paste

• 4 red capsicums
• 15 (about 1 bulb) garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 2 tbsp olive oil

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Instructions

1. To make roast capsicum paste, preheat oven to 200°C.

   Place capsicums and garlic cloves on a greased oven tray and roast for

   45 minutes or until softened and slightly blackened. Transfer to a bowl,

   cool slightly, then remove capsicum and garlic skins.

2. Cut open capsicums and discard seeds and juices. Process with garlic

   in a food processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

   Transfer to a bowl and cover with oil. Makes 1 cup.

3. Place pork in a bowl with white wine, milk, bay leaves, ½ tsp salt

   and ¼ tsp white pepper. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

   Drain, discard liquid and pat dry with paper towel.

4. Preheat oven to 180°C. Heat oil in a large ovenproof saucepan over

   high heat. Brown pork, in 2 batches, for 3 minutes. Using a slotted

   spoon, transfer to a bowl.

5. Add garlic and eschalots to the same pan and cook over medium heat

   for 3 minutes or until softened. Stir in ¼ cup capsicum paste, vermouth

   and pork. Transfer pan to the oven and bake, uncovered, stirring

   occasionally, for 30 minutes or until pork is tender.

6. Add clams, stock and thyme, cover the pan and bake for a further 10

   minutes or until the clams have opened. Remove bunch of thyme.

   Season, scatter with coriander and serve with fried potatoes.

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This recipe can be found Here

bon appetit