Fabes con Almejas (Beans with Clams)

If you want clams, you have to be ready to shell out some clams. That got me to thinking about why we some use the word "clams" to refer to money.  It seems that the reference is to clam shells, and may have originated with the practice of Native Americans in what is now known as California.  Those Native Americans -- the Miwok -- strung small clam shells together for use as currency. 

Fast forward a couple of decades and clams are no longer money.  Instead, they cost a lot of money.  Recently, I was standing in front of my local seafood counter.  The sign read little neck clams ... $0.45 cents each.  Forty-five cents for what barely constitutes a bite of clam. The only alternative was to buy a bag of little neck clams.  That would set me back $18.99. Either way, these clams were very expensive.  However, I do love clams and it has been a very long time since I have cooked with them.  A very long time. 

So, I decided to spend the clams for the clams.  I had a recipe that I wanted to make ... Fabes con Almejas or Beans with Clams.  This recipe hails from the northern Spanish region of Asturias and, according to many, it is a staple of Asturian cuisine.  This stew incorporates ingredients that embody the region, clams from the coastal shores and Fabada beans from the inland.  These two ingredients -- along with onions, garlic and bay leaves -- are melded together with some Spanish wine to produce a stew that is cucina povera (a phrase used by Tuscans to describe peasant food).

That is the irony of the dish, at least in my case.  Fabes con Almejas is a peasant dish, something that would grace the table of the poor.  They could grow the beans themselves and head out to the coastal waters to forage for the clams.  Go across the pond, and, this simple dish becomes fancy fare ... to the tune of more than $19.00 for just the clams.   And, without having grown any Fabada beans, I had to spend another couple of dollars for some beans, such as cannellini beans. That peasant dish becomes a fancy meal.  Rather than feeling cheated for having to spend a lot of money for something that could otherwise be very cheap, I just feel blessed that I have the money to put food on the table for my family. 

FABES CON ALMEJAS (BEANS WITH CLAMS)

Recipe from Culinaria Spain, pg. 208

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 pound of white beans

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove of garlic, chopped

1 bay leaf

Salt and pepper

1 pound of clams

1 cup white wine

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Directions:

1.  Prepare the beans.  If using dried beans, soak overnight in cold water.  

2. Cook the onions.  Heat the olive oil and add the onions and garlic.  Saute until the onions are translucent.  Add the beans and just enough water to cover them.  Season with the bay leaf, salt and pepper and let simmer over medium heat for an hour.  Stir several times during cooking and add more water if necessary.

3.  Cook the clams.  Clean the clams and discard any clams that are opened.  Add them to the beans and pour over the wine.  Once the clams have opened, add the parsley.

ENJOY!