Pochas with clams

  • 4
  • 60 minutes plus overnight soaking time for the beans
5.00

Pochas are an immature green-white bean popular in Rioja, Navarre and the Basque Country. This warming stew is one of the most popular ways to enjoy them in Rioja - braised with seafood and chorizo.

First published in 2022

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

Method

1

Soak the beans overnight in plenty of cold water

  • 500g of dried white pochas beans
2

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

3

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
4

Add the shallots to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, or until the shallots begin to soften but not brown

5

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

6

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

7

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

8

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
First published in 2022

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