cockles: somewhere between a mussel & a clam

about 2 tbl olive oil
1 pound of cockles, about 20
1 large shallot minced
3 cloves garlic chopped roughly
1 cup white wine
handful of basil
2 cups whole tomatoes and juice
1 tsp of sugar
1/2 tsp red chili flakes (optional)

cockles…funny name, good food :-)i picked these up yesterday at fairway. i was so excited when i got home i knew exactly what i was going to do with them.

cockles are somewhere in-between a mussel and a clam. they are small, very small, sort of heart shaped and have very little meat. the meat they do have however is sweet and very tasty.

i am so excited about sharing this dish with you. this would be a great meal for valentine’s day if you are eating in. a great meal for that special person.

just a side note, any shell fish would be great with this sauce, mussels, clams, lobster, possibly shrimp but it wouldn’t have the same flavor. i let the sauce simmer for a good hour, it let’s the wine reduce with the tomatoes and brings the whole dish together.

cockles in a spicy tomato broth

in a skillet, saute your shallot for about 3 minutes, just until they start to get translucent and brown, add your garlic and pepper flakes cook for 30 seconds more.
at this point i add the wine and let it cook for about 4-5 minutes on a medium to high simmer. just let the wine reduce a little and let the shallots and garlic soak up some of that flavor. while this is cooking i also like to add the fresh basil. it gives the wine a great flavor.
when wine has reduced a bit, add your tomatoes and a little tsp of sugar just to cut the acidity in the sauce.
i like to let the sauce simmer on the stove top for about an hour. i think it let’s all the flavors reduce together and become one.
after about an hour, add your shellfish and cover. cook until shells open, about 5 minutes on a high simmer, not a boil because your sauce will burn.
turn off your flame and serve over pasta. if your cooking this just as your meal toast some bread and enjoy!