One of my favourite recipes, these fresh, juicy cockles are just steamed open and topped with a fragrant herb sauce. Serve with lots of crusty bread for mopping up the juices.
Serves: 6
INGREDIENTS
Green sauce
½ packed cup each parsley leaves and mint leaves
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
⅓ cup olive oil
Cockles
1 tablespoon olive oil
1.5 kilograms cockles, cleaned (see Cook’s note)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes
To serve
2 tablespoons roughly chopped parsley
lemon wedges
METHOD
Green sauce: Place all the ingredients in a small food processor and blend until smooth. Set aside.
Cockles: Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over a high heat. Add the cockles, garlic and chilli then cover and steam until the cockles have opened. Discard any that remain closed.
To serve: Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cockles to a serving dish. Put ½ cup of the cooking liquid into a bowl and stir in the green sauce.
Spoon this over the cockles, scatter over the parsley and serve immediately with lemon wedges for squeezing.
Cook’s note: To clean the cockles, place in a large bowl of cold water with 2 teaspoons of salt. Leave for 15 minutes for them to purge any sand, then drain well.
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Issue 128
This winter issue of dish is about comfort and connection. Celebrating the best of New Zealand and Australian produce, it brings together recipes from some of our most-loved chefs, including Moroccan Chicken Soup, Mint-glazed Roasted Leg of Lamb, Slow Cooker Braised Red Wine and Miso White Chocolate Cheesecake. Find plenty to carry you through the colder months, from flaky sausage rolls and mushroom pie, to soul-soothing pasta, nostalgic baking, weekend market inspiration and dinner party menus. There’s a spotlight on the Outstanding Food Producer Awards, recipes from Caroline Griffiths’ Midnight Spaghetti, and a deep dive into the difference between Kiwi syrah and Aussie shiraz.