Cooking Cockles

[VonnieII]

Hi everyone - My mum loves cockles and as they are sooo expensive I was going to drag my kids out cockling for her. Once I have them how do I cook them?? I know you should sort of steam for a few mins until they open but do you plonk them straight into boiling water, or into cold and then boil?

Also if I pickle them afterwards and then open the pickles, how long will they keep fresh after opening?

I hope I don't sound too thick but I'd really appreciate anyone with experience of this to share.

Thanks in advance

[tel b]

We used to do this when I was a kid on holiday in Kent. Keep them in a bucket of clean seawater for a few hours to help get rid of any sand they've collected, then put them into a saucepan of cold fresh water and bring slowly to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes and discard any that didn't open.

I'm sure that's not the PC way of cooking them but it worked for us. Probably someone will tell me it's cruel and they should be chilled in the fridge for 24 hours to send them to sleep first! Hey, how much feeling can a cockle have anyway!

Don't pickle them - they're much nicer fresh with a bit of white pepper and vinegar; but if you must, if they're in vinegar they should keep fresh for weeks without refridgerating (vinegar is a preservative after all).

Hope this helps

[VonnieII]

Thank you so much - I'll dig the bucket and spades out!

[geraint]

They scream mind!

[spudqueen]

Be careful where you go ********* - you have to have a licence someplaces.