Pochas with clams
Most live clams bought at the supermarket have already been purged of sand, but if you buy them from a fishmonger you'll need to do this at home. Simply dissolve 2 tbsp table salt in 1 litre of water, and then pour this over the clams. Let them purge for 1 hour in the fridge, and then lift the clams out of the sandy, salty water. Rinse them, and then use as normal in the recipe.
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
- 500g of dried white pochas beans
- 250g of clams
- olive oil
- 100g of chorizo, roughly chopped
- 2 shallots, peeled and cut in half
- 1 leek, cut into large pieces
- 1 green pepper, chopped into large pieces
- 1 carrot, cut into large slices
- 1 head of garlic, cut in half
- salt
- 1 handful of parsley, chopped
- crusty bread, to serve
Method
Soak the beans overnight in plenty of cold water
- 500g of dried white pochas beans
The next day, drain the soaked beans and set aside. Rinse your clams and discard any that don't close when tapped, or which have crushed shells
- 250g of clams
Add a dash of olive oil to a large pot and heat over a medium-high heat. Add the chorizo and fry until the sausage starts to crisp up and the fat begin to render out
- olive oil
- 100g of chorizo, roughly chopped
Add the shallots to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, or until the shallots begin to soften but not brown
- 2 shallots, peeled and cut in half
Add the drained beans, leeks, pepper, carrot and garlic to the pan. Top with enough water to cover, then bring the water to a boil. Turn down the heat to low and simmer gently for 30 minutes, taking care not to let the pan boil
- 1 leek, cut into large pieces
- 1 green pepper, chopped into large pieces
- 1 carrot, cut into large slices
- 1 head of garlic, cut in half
Remove the veg and garlic from the pot. Squeeze the garlic out of its skin into the jug of a blender along with the rest of the vegetables. Blend the vegetables until smooth, adding a dash of water if needed, then add the puree back to the beans
Bring the broth back to a simmer, and then add the clams and cover. Cook the clams until they open, about 3-5 minutes. Discard any which stay closed
Season the soup with salt to taste then top with parsley and serve with some crusty bread
- salt
- 1 handful of parsley, chopped
- crusty bread, to serve
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