Tag: Cannellini Beans

VONGOLE (COCKLES PIPIS OR CLAMS) WITH SPANISH FLAVOURS

Usually when I buy vongole I have them with spaghetti (garlic and parsley and white wine), but now and again I like to play around with different flavours and because I had some Chorizo in the fridge, the vongole ended up being more Spanish than Italian.

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You can see the ingredients that went into this dish. Paprika is called pimenton in Spain. It has a smoky taste, but if you do not have it use common paprika instead.

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Because the vongole release their salty juices when cooked, I generally do not add salt.  A recipe very similar  to this one but without the Chorizo is in my second book, Small Fishy Bites.

1k cockles
400-500g cooked Cannellini beans
3 Chorizo sausage (skins removed and sliced)
2-3 tsps smoked pimenton (mixture of sweet and
hot to taste)
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 glass white wine (or Manzanilla or Fino sherry)
4 spring onions sliced
1-2 cloves garlic chopped finely
2 tbsp of tomato paste or 1 can (400grams)
of peeled tomatoes
2-3 tbsp finely chopped parsley
2-3 springs of thyme
Lightly fry the sliced Chorizo in very little oil until it starts to brown. Remove it and set aside and use the same saucepan to proceed with the rest of the ingredients.
Add more oil to the pan and sauté the onions on low heat till they soften; add the garlic and pimenton, stir gently for 1 minute.
Add tomatoes, thyme and wine or sherry, cover and simmer until the sauce has thickened.
Add cockles and parsley.
Cover and cook until they have opened, shaking the saucepan occasionally to distribute the heat evenly.
Serve with plenty of bread.
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Cooking with Spanish flavours sent me looking at some of the photos from my last trip to Spain. Fond memories of good old Barcelona and a butcher in Madrid!

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Writing this recipe has brought back many memories of Spain..

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I enjoyed it very much.

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COZZE (Mussels) GREEN LIPPED MUSSELS WITH TOMATO AND CANNELLINI BEANS

Mussells

Adding tomato and cannellini beans to mussels is a simple yet rewarding culinary experience — full of colour, flavour, and texture.

And when in New Zealand, eating green-lipped mussels is an absolute must. These mussels are impressively large and meaty, quite different from the smaller black varieties common in Australia and Europe.

when I was in New Zealand, I first cooked mussels while staying with friends on Waiheke Island, a beautiful spot in the Hauraki Gulf, about 17 kilometres from Auckland in New Zealand’s North Island.

WAIHEKE KITCHEN

I picked up a fresh batch from the local fish shop and made a classic Cozze in Brodetto — mussels cooked with extra virgin olive oil, white wine, parsley, and plenty of garlic.

GREEN LIPPED MUSSELS, TOMATOES AND CANNELLINI

A few days later, visiting friends in Queenstown in the South Island, I found another great fish shop in Dunedin and couldn’t resist buying more green lipped mussels. This time, I decided to cook the mussels with tomatoes and cannellini beans — and that’s the recipe I’m sharing here. On this occasion, I used tinned beans, which worked perfectly.If you can’t get green-lipped mussels, black mussels will work beautifully.

There were four of us around the table — the kind of night that called for something simple yet special. I love dishes that bring everyone together, and this one did just that: fresh mussels, creamy cannellini beans, and a rich tomato salsa that ties it all together beautifully.I

INGREDIENTS, SERVES 4

Mussels: 2.5 kg, cleaned and de-bearded

Dry white wine: ½ cup

Parsley: ½ cup, finely chopped

Cannellini beans: 2 × 400g tins, cooked and drained

Tomato salsa: 800g tinned red tomatoes, 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped, ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil,  fresh basil leaves or 1 tsp dried oregano, salt, to taste

Make the Tomato Salsa

In a saucepan, combine the tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and your choice of herbs. Add a pinch of salt and cook uncovered over medium heat for 10–15 minutes, until the sauce thickens and reduces to about 2 cups.

Cook the Mussels

In a large, wide saucepan, add the mussels, white wine, and parsley.Cover and steam over high heat, removing the mussels as they open. Cook the ones that remain closed and they will open.

Once all are cooked, reduce the remaining cooking liquid to about 1 cup. This concentrated broth is briny and full of flavor — no extra salt needed!

Bring It All Together:

Stir the reduced mussel liquid into the tomato salsa.

Add the cannellini beans and simmer gently until heated through.

Finally, add the mussels and toss everything together to coat them in the sauce.

Serve immediately, ideally with some crusty bread to soak up every drop of that incredible broth.

otes from the TableThe sweetness of the mussels and the creamy beans make a lovely contrast, while the tomato salsa adds freshness and depth. It’s a dish that feels both rustic and elegant — and one that tastes even better shared.

QUEENSTOWN KITCHEN:

You can see that I like mussels quite a bit. For other mussel recipes see:COZZE IN BRODETTO (mussels in a little broth)

SAFFRON RISOTTO WITH MUSSELS (Risu cu Zaffaranu e Cozzuli is the Sicilian, Riso con Zafferano e Cozze is the Italian)

COZZE CON SAMBUCA (Mussels with Sambuca- anice flavoured liqueur)

ZUPPA DI COZZE SGUSCIATE (A thick soup made with mussel meat)