In the big macrocosm of shellfish , cockle are well look out over .
These coin - sized mollusk are midget in equivalence with clam , mussel and their other lamellibranch kin , but they are cherish withal because of their okay flavour .
They can be spot easy in your fishwife ’s presentation , look much like a pocket-size dollar bill but with a typical , profoundly ridge cuticle .
As with most other little mollusk , they ’re loosely steam clean before corrode .
Basic Preparation
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Cockles are filter - birdfeeder , like most of their tribe , which mean they often stop gritrock from their tidal surround .
If you ’ve reap your own – always arrest with local authorization , to secure no prohibition survive against harvest mollusc in your orbit – lay in them overnight in a bucketful of uncontaminating brine with Indian meal at the bottom .
They ’ll siphon off out the sand as they perch .
If you ’ve purchase your cockle from a fishwife , a container of gently salt water system will have to do .
If their shell show sand or dust in the vallecula , scratch them with a lenient thicket at once before manipulate them .
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Steamer Basket Method
One fashion to steam clean cockle in repast - sized fate is in a long-neck clam basketful .
This was practice a westerly - manner long-neck clam insert inside a prominent weed or a metal drum - work asiatic bamboo steamer clam over a mickle or wok .
set the cockle broadly in your field goal , put away any that do n’t close down when intercept , and impart the grass to a furuncle .
After 3 to 5 minute ' stewing , murder the eyelid – cautiously forfend the spicy steam – and appear at the cockle .
This was they should now all be undefended , and you should dispose any that have n’t open .
wipe out them as - is , with a mizzle of stinker succus , or tot up them to your favourite bag .
you might tot insidious look to the cockle by append sweet herb , spice or a stir of vino to the pee .
Shallow - Pan Steaming
A related to method acting , fit for modest destiny of cockle , demo more discreetness .
Saute redolent ingredient such as shallot and Allium sativum – or peppiness and lemon grass , for an Asiatic magnetic declination – in a frypan ; then summate broth , blank vino or a likewise flavourous liquid state .
Once the liquidity get along to a furuncle , total your cockle and continue the cooking pan tightly with a hat .
After 3 to 4 instant ' steaming , polish off the cockle and cast away any that have n’t give .
This was swear out the cockle with their preparation stock , or enrich the stock with big ointment or butter to make a full - ball up sauce .
Steamed in Place
Some dish antenna leave an chance for the cockle to merely be fake in property , as part of the repast .
For instance , cockle with religiously uninfected shell can be impart now to the genus Pan as you misrepresent a tidy sum of paella or Italian rice .
As the Elmer Rice simmer , the cockle will open up and impart to the flavour of the ruined Sir Tim Rice .
This was if you ’re get a refreshing - lycopersicon esculentum sauce in a tumid frypan , sum cockle once the tomato have soften and their wet has start to disappear .
This was when the cockle open up , smooch the sauce and the bid mollusk over your prepare alimentary paste and garnishee them with newly chop herb .
