Cider and leek soup with clams, cockles and quail’s eggs

Serves 4 Starters and mains

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Method

Place a large saucepan over a medium heat and when hot add a generous drizzle of oil and the butter. When the butter is bubbling, add the shallots and leeks with a pinch of salt and cook for 2 minutes until they are turning translucent. Now add the potatoes and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Add the fish stock and half of the cider and simmer until the potatoes are soft. Add the cream and bring to the boil. Transfer the soup to a blender and blitz until smooth. Return to a clean pan and set aside.

Place a large saucepan (that has a tight-fitting lid) over a medium heat. When hot, add the clams, cockles and remaining cider and put the lid on. Cook for 3 minutes until the shells have opened, then drain in a colander over a bowl to catch the liquor. When cool enough to handle, pick the meat from the shells, keeping a few clams and cockles in their shells for serving. Place in a bowl and keep cool, with the reserved liquor, until ready to serve.

For the quail’s eggs, bring a pan of water to a simmer, then carefully lower the eggs into it and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove to a bowl of iced water and leave to cool for 5 minutes, then drain and peel the eggs. Put the flour, beaten egg and breadcrumbs into 3 separate bowls. Dry the eggs thoroughly and pass them first through the flour, then the egg and finally coat in the breadcrumbs. Set aside until ready to serve.

For the lemon, parsley and apple dressing, combine the apple, chopped parsley and lemon oil in a bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, heat the oil in a deep-fryer or other suitable deep, heavy pan to 180°C/350°F. Deep-fry the coated quail’s eggs for 1 minute until golden and crispy. Bring the soup to a simmer and add some of the reserved shellfish poaching liquid, to adjust the taste and the consistency to your liking. Drain the deep-fried quail’s eggs on kitchen paper and season with a little salt.

Add the picked shellfish to the soup and share equally between 4 warmed bowls, or serve in a tureen. Finish the soup with the reserved clams and cockles in shells, the quail’s eggs, dressing and a sprinkling of parsley.

Lemon oil method
Put all the ingredients into a blender and blitz for 2 minutes. Pour the oil mixture into a jug and leave to infuse and settle for 24 hours. Decant the oil into another container. Keep in the fridge and use within a month.

To serve
shredded flat-leaf parsley