Fish Face Guide | Cockles Guide

Staff writer

Last updated: 16 December, 2024 @ 14:40

Poole is home to some of the best cockle beds in the world. We know that because we’ve been cockling since we were knee-high to grasshopper. Back then, we used to pickle them, but now a whole new world of cockle cuisine and cockle recipes has opened up.

Cockling is easy. You just need your hands, a small container and a bit of sense about you. It should go without saying to check tide times and other possible dangers when heading out to do a spot of cockling. You should also check the water quality. The best resource for doing so is the CEFAS website.

Also, be responsible. Respect seasonal restrictions and only take what you need.

It’s easy to get carried away when cockling, but the reality is you’ll probably only ever need a couple of good handfuls – unless of course, you have very, very small hands.

It’s also worth brushing up on your shellfish knowledge. Here in Poole we have five different types of clam (six if you include the razor clam), with each having its own minimum size and rules for gathering. A bit of a research could save you a costly mistake.

Keep it clean

Now, in theory your cockles should undergo UV purification treatment. That’s what you need to do to ensure your cockles are clean and safe to eat.

The old-fashioned, less effective method is to soak the cockles for 24 hours in a large bucket of well-salted water. Some people add oats to the water to help the purging process.

However, if you want safe cockles get them UV treated.

Cockles

Cockle woe

If you’re not a fan of tear-jerking stories loaded with nostalgia then we’d advise skipping this next bit. When Fish Face Seafood Blog’s Paul was in his early 30s, we was sharing a house with one of his oldest friends. The were both going through a bit of a rough time. Money was tight and it’s fair to say they were both down on their luck a bit.

For that short period cockles became their meat of choice. They cooked them mariniere style, and ate them by the bucketful. It was great. Paul says they ‘felt like kings’ (albeit very poor ones).

For the record, this tale of woe had a happy ending. Paul is now writing about his true passion – seafood and the commercial fishing industry – while his friend is a corporate big-shot living out in Los Angeles. Funny where life takes you.

Cockles recipes

Anyway, cockles are also great vongole-style or shelled and battered to become Cockle Popcorn. They’re also really good in paella, or as I should say Arroz Marisco (on orders of our resident Spanish friend who tells us there’s no such dish as paella). And let’s not forget, they really are very good pickled.

Some of our favourite cockles recipes include:

Our very own Perfect Pickled Cockles (it’s ace!)
Nathan Outlaw’s Lemon sole, cockles and samphire with garlic parsley dumplings and lemon sauce
Shaun Rankin’s Cockles cooked in white wine with shallots, pancetta and basil
And the winter warming Creamy cockle chowder, by The Hairy Bikers.

There is of course a host of other cockle recipes out there. There’s a good alternative pickling recipe in Mitch Tonks, Fish. Read our review or buy the book at Amazon.