November Recipe from Richard at Arran on a Plate

Clams are a nice alternative to mussels. They are however more expensive but require less preparation. Parlourde clams or Surf clams are both available at this time of the year. They must be alive when sold and cooked to ensure they are fresh. You can treat them like mussels and have them steamed simply in a white wine sauce, but with their depth of flavour they will make a perfect winter warming soup.

Clam chowder
To serve 4

1kg Clams
1 Onion
4 Cloves garlic
2 Bay leaves
2 Sticks celery
2 Carrots
2 Large potatoes
250ml White wine
250ml Double cream
500ml Water
Small bunch of tarragon

Method

Wash the clams in cold water, discarding any that will not close when knocked on the side. Put these in a large pot with the white wine and steam with a lid on for 5 minutes. Take off the heat and allow to cool a little. Meanwhile chop up all the root vegetables, you can leave them chunky or dice them finely. Place these in a large pot and slowly start to fry them. Season with some salt and pepper. Once they have got a little colour on them, strain the wine from your clam pot and add this to your veg. Add the water and bay leaves and allow to simmer on the heat for 30 minutes.

Now pick the clams out of the shell. Add them to your soup and pour in the cream. Allow to simmer for a further 5 minutes.

Take half of your soup and place in the blender with the tarragon and blitz until smooth. Add it back to the rest of the soup mix it all back together and season to taste. Serve with some nice crusty bread.