Friday, July 04, 2008

Cockles and Samphire

Well, I had to make mine with clams as the fishmonger didn't have any live cockles though they are very good at this time of year. As is samphire, which they did have.

Place a sliced garlic clove and chopped red chilli in a large pan and add a glass of wine. Bring to the boil and bubble for a couple of minutes. Add the clams (about 500 - 700g for two), cover and steam for a few mnutes until opened. Meanwhile, blanch a couple of big handfuls of samphire for 2 minutes in boiling water then drain well. Heat a splash of olive oil in a large frying pan and add the samphire cooking over a high heat for a minute. Stir into the clams with some fine ground pepper and eat straightaway.

2 comments:

Michelotti said...

My mum was a Norfolk lass and taught me how to cook and enjoy "Samfer" Norfolk style.

Don't mess about picking the tips off, just wash pick and clean each plant and trim the main stem from the roots, put the plants in a huge pan of boiling water and boil until the flesh can be easily slid off the fibrous stalks. Drain. Add loads of butter, salt and vinegar....get yourself a large bib, a crustly loaf and half a pond of premium salted butter and turn yourself into a total pig. You can add the odd cockle or mussel if you REALLY need to......but trust me.....you won't!

Silvana said...

Oh that sounds fantastic. Need to get my hands on more samfer right now!