Fabes con almejas

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 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.