What’s not to like? Clams? Good. Cream? Good. Chorizo? Gooooood. I discovered this culinary greatness on my first visit to Trinity Restaurant in Keyport, NJ last December. I tend to always order whatever clam dish is on the appetizer menu when dining out (Casino, Oreganato, broth, etc.). I admit when I first read the description off the menu- Catalan-Style Clams with chorizo, Spanish peppers, cilantro, white wine and a touch of cream- I had no idea what Catalan meant but the dish sounded sinfully delicious. (Further investigation defined Catalan as a Spanish-inspired Mediterranean cuisine.)

When the dish was placed in the middle of our table that first time, it was a beautiful thing. At least a dozen clams tossed with bright red peppers and bite-sized morsels of Chorizo, all floating around in this rich broth. The first clam just had to incorporate everything – a little pepper, some chorizo, and a quick dunk in the broth. I practically sighed out loud at the table it was that good. Every last clam was eaten. The fresh clams were perfectly cooked, the Spanish peppers and chorizo were paired perfectly with the clams and each other and of course, that broth.

But wait. It wasn’t over. Our bread basket hadn’t been brought out yet. When our waiter came to clear the clam dish, I may have frightened him as he went to take away the empty dish as I thrust my hand on that bowl. You see, the clams and chorizo and peppers may have been gone, but there was still remnants of that luscious, silky broth. And there was no way I was departing with that. I said to the waiter, “Actually, can you please bring us our bread because I’d love to dip it into this broth.” Surprisingly, he didn’t look at me as though I were a crazy lunatic about to lick the bowl (which I did NOT, although tempted). My guess was we weren’t the first diners to do the same. When that bread arrived, every last drop of that broth was cleaned up. The bowl appeared to have just come out of the dishwasher. Who needed the main entrée at that point? Just bring me another bowl of those clams!

I’ve since been back to Trinity many times and each time I’m sure to order these clams. The last occasion was with a group of girlfriends. I said, “Trust me on the clams.” Once again, every last bit of clams, peppers, chorizo and broth were devoured. We looked around at each other and couldn’t speak. The silence might have been the result of embarrassment after watching four grown women fighting over the last drop of broth while using bread as weapons.

The Catalan-Style Clams has become one of my most memorable dining dishes. I envision a perfect night of sitting at Trinity’s bar with a glass of wine, some bread, and a bowl of those clams. Heavenly…