Cockle Chowder Recipe

Servings: 4
Prep time: 30 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

for the chowder:
dash vegetable oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
21 ounces|600 grams pumpkin, peeled and roughly chopped
12 ¼ ounces|350 grams sweet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
4 bay leaves
4 firm tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 large red bell peppers, roughly chopped
1 stalk celery, roughly chopped
1 red chile pepper
4 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the cockles:
7 ounces|200 grams fresh, cleaned cockles (see chef’s note in recipe)
1 glass dry white wine
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
1 onion, finely chopped
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Heat some oil in a large saucepan over medium and add the onion. Sauté until translucent, then add the pumpkin and sweet potatoes. Sauté for 5 minutes, then add the bay leaves, tomatoes, bell peppers, celery, and chile pepper. Cover and allow to stew for 20 to 30 minutes.
2. In a large skillet over medium, add the cockles, white wine, carrot, garlic, onion, and freshly ground black pepper. The cockles are done when they open up.
3. When everything is done in the chowder pan, take out the bay leaves and the chile pepper. Add the cockles mixture, cilantro, and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Chef’s tip for cleaning cockles: Cockles are never completely sand-free, so wash them with salted water first. Cover them in a bowl with cold, unsalted water and refrigerate for 2 hours. The cockles will purge themselves.

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