Ingredients
- 1 kg South Australian cockles (pipis) or clams
- 1 cup (250 ml) Fish Stock
- 1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 150 g chorizo, cut in half lengthways then sliced crossways into 5 mm thick slices
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup (125 ml) verjuice
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
- extra virgin olive oil and crusty bread, to serve
Cockles with chorizo
I had always believed that if a mussel, cockle or clam did not open during cooking then it should be thrown away, but recently an article by dr. Karl Kruszelnicki in the Sydney Morning Herald’s Good Weekend magazine put me right. He explained that you can prise the stubborn ones open, and as long as they don’t smell off, they’re fine to use.
The important thing here is not to overcook the cockles or they will shrink and become rubbery. The same applies when frying the chorizo: you’re really just warming it through, to give the dish a fabulous smoky flavour.
Method
Discard any cockles with broken shells, then place the remainder in a large bowl of cold water and soak for 30 minutes to flush out any sand.
Remove the cockles from the water with a slotted spoon, leaving any sand in the base of the bowl, then place in a sieve to drain.
Heat the fish stock in a small saucepan over medium heat for 2–3 minutes or until just warmed through.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over high heat and fry the chorizo for 1 minute, then turn to cook the other side for 30 seconds (cook it just long enough for it to colour and release some of its oil). Transfer the chorizo to a plate, leaving the oil in the pan.
Return the pan to high heat, then add the drained cockles and toss well for 1 minute, shaking the pan to allow the oil to coat the cockles.
Season with salt and pepper, then add the verjuice and cook, stirring, until it has evaporated. Add the warm fish stock, then cover and cook the cockles for 2 minutes or until they start to open.
Return the chorizo to the pan and stir to combine. Divide the cockle and chorizo mixture between two warm bowls.
Sprinkle with chopped chives and splash generously with oil, then serve immediately with crusty bread to soak up the juices.
This recipe was provided to Foodwise from the book “Maggie’s Verjuice Cookbook” by Maggie Beer and photography by Sharyn Cairns, published by Lantern rrp $39.95.
Submitted byMaggie Beer
