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Fabes con almejas
White beans with clams
Fabes con almejas: Asturian butter-soft beans in a saffron broth with clams
Along the coast, from Lastres to Ribadesella, fabes are cooked not with sausage but with clams, in a pale, saffron-tinted broth that tastes of the sea. It is a dish for a long weekend lunch in a seaside restaurant, eaten slowly with a spoon and bread. The broth uses a glass of dry white wine; an alcohol-free swap is given. Chef's tip: "scare" the beans by adding a splash of cold water whenever the pot boils up during cooking; it keeps the skins whole and the insides creamy.
- Total time
- 175 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the beans
- 14 oz dried fabes or large white butter beanssoaked overnight in cold water
- 1 onionpeeled and halved
- 4 cloves garlic2 whole, 2 finely chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 pinch saffron threadscrumbled into 1 tbsp warm water
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp saltto taste
For the clams
- 1 ⅓ lb fresh clamscarpet shell or palourde
- ½ cup dry white wineor 100 ml water with 1 tsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp flat-leaf parsleychopped
- ½ tsp sweet paprika
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Check 1 ⅓ lb fresh clams: throw away any with cracked shells and any open ones that don't close when tapped. Soak the rest in cold salted water for 1 hour so they spit out sand.
60 minStep 2: Drain 14 oz dried fabes or large white butter beans, put them in a wide pot with 1 onion, the whole cloves of 2 cloves garlic, 1 bay leaf and 3 tablespoons of 3 tbsp olive oil, and cover with cold water by 2 cm. Bring slowly to a simmer.
15 minStep 3: Cook at the gentlest simmer, uncovered, for about 2 hours, adding a small splash of cold water whenever it starts to bubble hard. Shake the pot instead of stirring so the beans don't break.
110 minStep 4: When the beans are tender and creamy, remove the onion and bay, add 1 pinch saffron threads and 1 tsp salt, and keep them on the lowest heat. The broth should be loose and slightly thickened.
Step 5: In a frying pan, warm the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil and fry the chopped 2 cloves garlic over a low heat until pale gold, then stir in ½ tsp sweet paprika and half of 1 ½ tbsp flat-leaf parsley for a few seconds.
2 minStep 6: Add the drained clams and ½ cup dry white wine, cover and cook over a high heat for 3–4 minutes, shaking the pan, until the shells open. Throw away any that stay shut.
4 minStep 7: Tip the clams and their juices into the beans, shake the pot gently and simmer for 2 minutes. A common mistake is cooking the clams in the beans for longer; they turn rubbery. Rest 5 minutes and serve with the rest of 1 ½ tbsp flat-leaf parsley on top.
7 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 31 g
- Carbs
- 60 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 18 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does fabes con almejas take?
- About 175 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 150 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 dried fabes or large white butter beans?
- Cannellini or haricot beans, same amount.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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