Fabes con almejas (fabes with clams) are one of the best loved dishes in Asturian cooking, and also one of the most delicate. They combine the creaminess of the faba with the flavour of the sea, and everything depends on two things. A good faba that does not fall apart and clams that are well cleaned and opened at the last moment. At Finca El Ribeiro, in San Martín de Luiña, we grow and pack our own Faba Asturiana PGI de La Granja, and this is one of the ways we like to eat it most. We share the traditional recipe, a quick version and the tricks we have always used.
Ingredients for fabes con almejas for 4 people
- Fabas. 400 g of Faba Asturiana PGI.
- Clams. 500 g of fresh, medium-sized clams.
- Onion. Half a small onion, whole, for the broth.
- Leek. A small piece, white part only.
- Garlic. Two cloves.
- Fresh parsley. A small handful.
- White wine. A splash, about 100 ml.
- Extra virgin olive oil. Four tablespoons.
- Saffron. A few strands, optional.
- Salt. To taste, with care, because the clams already add some.
The traditional recipe has no compango, so the flavour of the clam stays clean. If you want to give it some body, some people add a ham end to the cooking broth, but it is not essential.
How to prepare the fabes and the clams
Soaking the fabas
Leave the fabas in cold water the night before, about 12 hours. The next day, drain them. This soaking is what lets them cook evenly and keep the skin whole.
Cleaning the clams
The clams must be purged so they do not taste of sand. Put them in a bowl with cold water and two tablespoons of coarse salt for an hour or two, in a cool place with little light. Then rinse them well under the tap and discard any with a broken shell or an open one that does not close when touched.
Traditional fabes con almejas step by step
- Cook the fabas. In a tall pot put the drained fabas, the half onion, the leek, one clove of garlic and a little oil. Cover with cold water and bring to medium heat.
- Scare them. When it comes to a boil, skim off the foam and add a splash of cold water. Repeat three times. That way the skin stays whole.
- Gentle heat. Lower the heat to the minimum and cook for between an hour and a half and two hours, until the beans are creamy inside. Do not stir with a spoon, just move the pot from time to time with a gentle swing. If needed, add cold water in small splashes so they are always covered.
- Garlic and parsley sofrito. In a wide pan heat the remaining oil and brown the other, very finely chopped garlic without letting it burn. Add the chopped parsley.
- Open the clams. Put the drained clams in the pan, turn up the heat and pour in the white wine. Cover and wait about 3 or 4 minutes until they open. Discard any that do not open.
- Bring it together. Strain the clam juice through a fine sieve and pour it over the fabas. Add the clams, move the pot gently and let it come to a short boil of about 2 minutes.
- Resting. Turn off the heat, taste for salt and let it rest covered for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
The broth should be bound and slightly silky, without being a cream. If it looks too loose, you can crush three or four fabas with the back of a spoon against the side of the pot and stir everything together.
Grandmother’s fabes con almejas, the right texture
The version from old family kitchens cares more about time than about ingredients. The fabas are cooked slowly in the morning, left to rest and heated before the meal, adding the clams at the last moment. That way the shellfish does not overcook and the fabas have had time to bind the broth. If you can organise yourself like that, the result is better.
For this dish we like a faba with a very thin skin, because it lets the flavour of the sea broth through and does not turn tough between the teeth. You can see how we grow ours on the faba page.
Quick fabes con almejas recipe
If you do not have half a morning, there is a quick way that works well.
- Soak the fabas the night before, as always.
- Cook them in a pressure cooker with the onion, the leek, one garlic clove, oil and cold water that barely covers them. Scare them once or twice before closing.
- Count between 20 and 25 minutes from when it starts to whistle and let the pressure drop on its own.
- Open the clams in the pan as in the traditional recipe and add them to the hot fabas.
- Let it rest covered for 10 minutes.
In total it is about 45 minutes of active cooking, not counting the soaking.
Common mistakes with fabes and clams
- Cooking the clams with the fabas. They overcook, turn tough and lose flavour. Better to open them separately.
- Not purging the clams. A single grain of sand ruins the dish.
- Boiling hard. It breaks the skin of the fabas and the broth turns cloudy.
- Salting at the start. Better at the end, when you have already seen how much salt the clams have added.
What to serve with the dish
A fresh white wine, such as an albariño or an Asturian white, goes very well with it. And bread for dipping. If you want something lighter to start, some cold fabas a la vinagreta work very well before a hot dish.
Frequently asked questions about fabes con almejas
Can you make fabes con almejas with jarred or already cooked faba?
You can, but the result changes. Dry faba that you soak and cook yourself releases starch and binds the broth with the clams. With already cooked faba you will have to adjust the broth separately.
How long do the fabes need to cook for this dish?
In a regular pot, between an hour and a half and two hours over gentle heat. In a pressure cooker, about 20 to 25 minutes from when it whistles. The clams are added at the end and only need two or three minutes.
How do I know if the clams are in good condition?
Live ones close when you touch them and smell of the sea. Discard those that are broken, those that do not close and those that do not open after cooking.
Can they be prepared the day before?
Yes, the fabas improve with a day of rest. The ideal is to cook the fabas a day ahead and open the clams just before serving.
How many servings does 400 g of faba make?
It makes four generous servings. With a kilo of our faba you get between 8 and 10 servings.
Cook fabes con almejas with faba from the farm
If you want to try this recipe with a creamy, thin-skinned faba, you can order our Faba Asturiana PGI de La Granja in the shop. And if you are looking for the classic fabada recipe, you have all the recipes a click away.