FROM THE SEA

Many shy away from cooking shellfish, thinking it involves a lot of fuss. But you couldn’t conjure up a quicker dinner than a stockpot full of fresh cockles, herbs, and the dregs of yesterday’s wine.

Make a quick, tasty dinner with a stockpot full of fresh cockles.

While the saying ‘warm the cockles of the heart’ may be referring to the act of bestowing a feeling of comfort, you could argue that the little shellfish does much the same. Their sweet and slightly nutty flavour paired with their juicy texture and low oil content lends itself perfectly to flavoursome, comforting dishes such as fresh cockle linguine, everything simply thrown in a pot with lots of herbs, garlic and lemon. New Zealand cockles (Austrovenus stutchburyi), known in te reo Māori as ‘tuangi’, are found only in Aotearoa and enjoyed not only all over the country, but also in other countries such as Australia, the US, Japan and Hong Kong. Unlike other shellfish such as mussels or oysters that cling to rocky outcrops, cockles are found buried just underneath the seabed. In fact, these little creatures will dig down into their burrows themselves, using a single ‘foot’ to move around (by bending and straightening their foot, they can even ‘jump’ from one place to another). You can often spot people searching for cockles along the shoreline, eagerly digging into the wet sand to retrieve the tasty little gems. Health-wise, cockles are very nutrient-dense and are rich in protein, while being low in fat and carbohydrates. They also provide a high dose of vitamin B12, iron and selenium.

DID YOU KNOW?

New Zealand cockles can live for up to 25 years and are fast-growing shellfish, typically maturing between the ages of two and seven. The cockle’s growth can be influenced by surrounding factors such as the temperature of water, levels of salinity and the food supply available. New Zealand cockles are closely related to other shellfish like clams, and in fact, are sometimes referred to as ‘little-necked’ clams.

WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE

These shellfish are bivalve molluscs, the term ‘bivalve’ being of Latin origin, roughly translating to ‘two leaves of a door’. Cockles are identified by their round, plump shells which feature fine ridged lines that run in a criss-cross pattern, connected by a small hinge-like ligament. When turned sideways, the two shells form a ‘heart’ shape. Cockle shells can be found in colours of brown, cream and green, depending on the species. Inside, the flesh of the cockle has a delicate texture and creamy colour. There is no size limit when harvesting cockles, however, most commercial fishers avoid cockles that are smaller than 28 mm in length. You can sometimes find barnacles growing on the shells of cockles or bits of algae attached.