From Catalonia, a picada is a combination of pounded nuts and crusty bread used to thicken and flavour a broth or liquid. Made here with almonds, garlic and fried bread, the picada is added to the clam and sherry cooking juices. You can experiment with different nuts if you like – hazelnuts or walnuts are good – or add a picada to other dishes, such as chicken cooked in stock, or various soupy shellfish dishes. What you have is a punchy, highly flavoured ingredient to thicken and invigorate a cooking broth.