Creamy Cockle Chowder
Today's recipe features a comforting and flavorful dish - a creamy and hearty cockle chowder served in bread bowls. The rich blend of fresh cockles, bacon, vegetables, and aromatic herbs, simmered to perfection in a velvety broth, is sure to warm your soul. Topped with fragrant parsley and served in crusty soda bread rolls, this dish is as delightful to eat as it is to behold. Enjoy the cozy pleasure of savoring this delicious chowder on a chilly evening!
— Constant Cookbook
Ingredients
- 1kg/2lb 4oz fresh live cocklescockles
- ½ lemon
- 25g/1oz butter
- 1 onion
- 2 sticks celery
- 3 rashers rindless smoked streaky bacon
- 1 bay leaf
- bushy sprig thyme
- 300g/10½oz potatoes
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 300ml/10fl oz full-fat milk
- 300ml/10fl oz chicken stock
- 1 medium leek
- 100ml/3½fl oz double cream
- 100ml/3½fl oz white wine
- 6 large soda bread rolls
- roughly chopped parsley
- young celery
Instructions
- Wash the cockles really well and discard any with cracked or damaged shells. They should all remain firmly shut, so chuck any away that are gapping open or donât shut when tapped on the side of the sink. Put in a large bowl and cover with cold water, swish around with your hand and drain. Repeat the process three more times then drain in a colander.
- Place a saucepan over a high heat and add the cockles in their shells, with 150ml/5fl oz water and the lemon juice. Cover quickly with a lid and steam the cockles for 4-5 minutes, or until the shells have all opened. Hold the lid tightly and give the pan a good shake every now and then to redistribute the heat. Once the cockles are cooked, tip into a colander and leave to drain.
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan and gently fry the onion, celery and bacon with the bay leaf and thyme sprig for five minutes, or until softened and lightly coloured, stirring regularly. Peel the potatoes and cut into roughly 1.5cm/¾in cubes.
- Stir the flour and then the potatoes into the saucepan with the vegetables. Slowly add the milk and stock and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are very tender and the soup has thickened, stirring occasionally. Pick out and discard the thyme leaf and bay leaf.
- While the soup is simmering, take the cockles out of their shells and put them into a bowl. Discard any that havenât opened. Add the leek, cream and wine to the soup. Return to a gentle simmer and cook for three minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the cockles and cook for one minute more, or until hot.
- Place the bread rolls on a board and cut off the tops with a serrated knife. Pull out the soft bread from inside each roll. Place the rolls on six dinner plates and ladle the soup carefully inside. Scatter the parsley on top and add a young celery stick to each bread bowl. Top with the reserved bread tops if you like. Serve immediately. Eat the soup and the chowder soaked bread, working your way around from the top of the roll.
Cook Time
30M
Prep Time
PT30M
Yield
Serves 6
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