Serves 4
Preparation time: 20 minutes (plus soaking)
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
150 g mussels
190 g clams
3 fat garlic cloves
120 ml olive oil
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
4 bay leaves
120 ml good white wine
400 g baby plum tomatoes, halved lengthways
30 g fresh basil leaves
30 g fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
350 g pearled spelt
salt and freshly ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle
Method
Scrub the mussels clean and remove the beards and any barnacles. Soak the clams in salted water for 30 minutes to remove the grit, then wash in clean water and drain. Discard any that have opened.
Place the unpeeled garlic cloves on a clean surface and crush with the blade of a heavy knife. Put the oil in a large non-stick frying pan and add the garlic, chilli and bay leaves. Cook for 1 minute over a low heat then remove the garlic cloves. Add the clams and mussels, cover and cook for 2–3 minutes. Once the shellfish have opened, pour in the wine and simmer for 3 minutes over a medium heat. (Discard any shellfish that remain closed.)
Add the tomatoes, basil and parsley and cook for a further 5 minutes over a low heat. Set aside.
Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the spelt to the pan and return to a rolling boil. Stir and cook for 10 minutes until cooked. Drain.
Add the spelt to the mussels and clams, return to the heat and continue cooking for 2 more minutes. Adjust the seasoning, drizzle with a little virgin olive oil and serve immediately
