Serves 2
3 tablespoons olive oil
¼ pound sausage, sliced ½-inch thick (chorizo, Italian sausage, and kielbasa all work well)
1 leek, sliced thinly
1 clove garlic, crushed
8 sprigs fresh thyme
Salt and pepper, to taste
1¼ teaspoons smoked paprika
1 bay leaf
14 ounces canned tomatoes (cherry tomatoes are excellent, if you can find them)
¼ cup chicken stock
6 tablespoons white wine
2 pounds Manila or littleneck clams, scrubbed
Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat and cook the sliced sausage until cooked through, about 8 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. Reduce the heat to medium and scrape the browned bits out.
Add the leek, garlic, and thyme to the pan and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add salt, pepper, paprika, and bay leaf and toss the contents of the pan with the spices to coat. Cook for 1 minute.
Add the tomatoes, stock, and wine and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes.
Stir in the clams and cook until opened, about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring every so often. Discard any that do not open. Serve warm with some good crusty bread.