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Consomé de chipichipi
Tiny clam broth
Consomé de chipichipi: clear broth of tiny clams with garlic and coriander
On the beaches of Margarita and the Sucre coast, vendors ladle steaming cups of consomé de chipichipi, a clear, salty broth of tiny clams with garlic, ají dulce and coriander, famous as a cure after a long night. Chipichipi are hard to find outside Venezuela; small clams such as palourdes or Manila clams are a good stand-in. The common mistake is boiling the clams too long, which makes them rubbery. Chef's tip: let the clams soak in salted water first so they spit out their sand.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 3 ⅓ lb small live clams
- 2 tbsp saltfor soaking
- 6 ¼ cups water
- 4 cloves garliccrushed
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 2 spring onionssliced
- 3 ají dulce (sweet chilli peppers)chopped
- ½ oz fresh corianderchopped
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 limein wedges
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What you'll need
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Cover 3 ⅓ lb small live clams with cold water mixed with 2 tbsp salt and leave for 30 minutes so they release sand. Throw away any with cracked shells, and any open ones that don't close when tapped.
30 minStep 2: Simmer 6 ¼ cups water with 4 cloves garlic, 1 onion, 2 spring onions and 3 ají dulce (sweet chilli peppers) for 10 minutes.
10 minStep 3: Lift the clams from their water (leaving the grit behind) into the pot, cover and cook over a high heat for 4–5 minutes, shaking the pan, until the shells open. Discard any that stay shut.
5 minStep 4: Strain the broth through a sieve lined with a clean cloth to catch any sand, then return it to the pot with the clams. Season with ¼ tsp black pepper; it rarely needs salt.
3 minStep 5: Serve in cups with ½ oz fresh coriander and 1 lime.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 120 kcal
- Protein
- 16 g
- Carbs
- 6 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does consomé de chipichipi take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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