COCKLE CHOWDER

Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 50 minutes

Serves 4-6

A chowder is a great way to kick off a weekend brunch. Traditionally it’s made with clams, although I’d say our local Poole cockles are infinitely better – much plumper and saltier. If you can get your hands on live ones, so much the better – get them in a bowl of water in the sink and keep agitating them with your hand and changing the water to remove any sand before cooking. If you can’t get live cockles, clams or mussels will do.

INGREDIENTS

– 1 medium onion – 1 garlic clove

– 1 small chilli

– 1 stick of celery – 3 thick rashers of

rindless streaky bacon – 1 medium potato

(250-300g)

– a good knob of butter – ½ tbsp plain flour

– 1.5l fish stock – 300-350g live cockles,

washed (see above)

– 2 tbsp chopped

parsley

– 2-3 tbsp double cream

METHOD

Peel and finely chop the onion; peel and crush the garlic. Cut the chilli in two, remove the seeds and dice finely. Trim the celery, discarding any tough strands, and cut into 1cm dice. Cut the bacon into rough 1cm chunks, and peel and cut the potato into 1cm dice.

Gently cook the onion, garlic, chilli, celery and bacon in the butter in a covered pan for 2-3 minutes, without colouring.

Stir in the flour then gradually add the stock, bring to the boil and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Add the potato and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes.

Remove about 200ml of the liquid and a few bits from the soup and blend in a liquidiser until smooth, then return to the pan.

Put the cockles in a separate pan with a tablespoon of water, cover with a lid and cook on a high heat for a minute or so, giving the pan an occasional shake, until the cockles are open, then remove from the heat and drain in a colander over a bowl.

Add the cooking juices to the chowder then remove the meat from half of the cockles, or more if you wish, and discard the shells.

Add the cockles, parsley and cream to the chowder, season and simmer for a minute or so before serving.