Molly Malone’s

chowder Serves 6-8

You will need:

2 tablespoons sunflower oil 110g smoked bacon, cut into 1cm dice 25g butter 110g leek, trimmed and very finely diced 110g carrot, peeled and very finely diced 275g potato, peeled and finely diced 1kg mixed cockles and mussels in their shells (see my Top Tip, left) 300ml dry white wine 200ml milk 200ml cream Salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 Heat the sunflower oil in a saucepan on a medium-to-high heat, and saute the diced bacon for about 3-4 minutes until it is crisp and golden. Add in the butter and, when it’s melted, add the very finely diced leek, the very finely diced carrot and the very finely diced potato. Turn the heat down, and cook the vegetables gently for 4-5 minutes, or until they are soft but not browned. Remove the pan from the heat.

2 Meanwhile, prepare the cockles and mussels. Scrub the shells clean and discard any mussels that remain open when you tap them against a hard surface. Remove the beard (the little fibrous tuft) from each mussel.

3 Bring the dry white wine to the boil in a separate large saucepan, and add the cockles and mussels. Cover the saucepan with a tight-fitting lid and leave the mussels to cook for 3-4 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until the shells have opened.

4 Remove the saucepan from the heat, and drain the shellfish in a colander, making sure to retain all the cooking juices. Discard any mussels that remain closed. Once the mussels are drained, return them to the empty pan to keep them warm and set aside. Place a fine sieve over a measuring jug and strain the cooking liquid. If the juices in the jug measure less than 600ml, add water to make up to that quantity.

5 Add the strained cooking juices and the milk to the bacon and diced vegetable mixture, and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for two minutes, then add the cream, and bring to the boil. Season the chowder liquid with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

6 Meanwhile, if you wish, remove half of the cockles and mussels you set aside earlier from their shells. Add them, along with the remaining cockles and mussels still in their shells, to the chowder liquid. Put the saucepan over a medium heat for a couple of minutes to reheat the cockles and mussels, then stir in the chopped fresh parsley. Serve with crusty bread.