Clams with beans
- 500g dried beans (cannellini, butter or lima), soaked overnight in plenty of cold water
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 small onion, peeled and cut in half
- 4 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, tied together with kitchen twine
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Pinch of saffron threads
- 3 tbsp breadcrumbs
- 400g clams - vongole, surf clams, venus clams, cockles or even pipis
- Salt
This recipe has been adapted from Simone and Ines Ortega's new book of Spanish food, 1080 Recipes, published by Phaidon.
Method
Drain and wash beans, put them in a saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to boil. As soon as they boil, drain and return to pot, adding garlic, bay leaf, onion and parsley.
Cover generously with cold water. Simmer gently with lid on for an hour, adding more water if needed.
Add saffron and stir in. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on the surface of the beans and simmer for 30 minutes more or until tender.
Meanwhile, wash the clams well, discarding any with broken shells. Place into a pot or frypan, add a cup of water and cook over high heat, with a lid, shaking, until the clams open.
Discard any that aren't open and separate the liquid, straining it through a fine sieve, then 15 minutes before serving, mix the clams and their liquid with the beans, heat, season with salt and drizzle olive oil on top.
Serves 4-6
