495. COCKLE CHOWDER with BACON

Serves 8


1 kg cockles (in their shell)
1.5 litres water
40g streaky smoked bacon
2 medium onions, finely chopped.
3 medium potatoes, diced.
1 bay leaf
475 ml milk
250 ml single cream
salt & pepper to taste

Rinse the cockles well in cold water and drain. Bring the water to the boil in a deep pan and add the cockles. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes until the shells are open.

When the cockles have cooled a little, drain the pan, retaining the cooking liquid, and remove the cockles from their shells – discard any shells which have not opened. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve or muslin cloth.

In a large pan, fry the bacon until golden brown. Add the onions and sweat over a medium heat until softened.

In a milk pan, bring the milk to a simmer and take off the heat.

Add the bay leaf, potatoes and the cockle liquid to the bacon and onions and bring to the boil. Cook for about 8-10 minutes until the potatoes are just turning soft, but still retaining their shape. Stir occasionally to prevent the onions or bacon sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Add the milk, cream and cockle meat and gently heat cook for a further 3 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and season to taste.

Serve in soup bowls with warm crusty rolls. Garnish simply with chopped parsley or snipped chives.


courtesy of: The Soup Ladle, Blueprint Foods Limited, Unit 8, The Nelson Centre, Portfield Road, Portsmouth, PO3 5SF, Tel: 02392 620020