Chickpea and Clam Soup

Method

1. Rinse the lupini clams thoroughly under cold water to remove any sand.
2. Finely chop a bunch of fresh parsley; set aside.
3. Heat a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Add a garlic clove cut in half and let it sizzle until fragrant.
4. Add the rinsed clams and some parsley stems to the pan. Pour in a splash of water, cover, and let the clams open. Remove clams as soon as they open to keep them tender.
5. Once all clams have opened, remove them from the shells, reserving the cooking liquid. Discard the shells and set the clam meat aside.
6. In a separate pan, heat another drizzle of olive oil. Grate a garlic clove directly into the oil, add a small piece of chili pepper, and then add the chickpeas (cooked or canned, preferably Italian).
7. Pour in the reserved clam cooking liquid and let the chickpeas simmer for a few minutes to absorb the flavors.
8. Using an immersion blender, blend about three-quarters of the chickpea mixture with some of the cooking liquid until smooth and creamy. Leave some whole chickpeas for garnish.
9. Slice a piece of stale bread thinly (using a slicer if possible). Toast the slices in a dry pan or in the oven until golden and crispy.
10. In a small pan, fry a few thin slices of garlic in olive oil until golden. Set aside.
11. To serve, ladle the warm chickpea cream into bowls. Top with the reserved clams, whole chickpeas, cherry tomato slices, fried garlic, parsley, chili flakes, and the toasted bread. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.