Today, in collaboration with Gadis Supermercados, a quick and delicious recipe to prepare a typically Galician shellfish: cockles with fennel sauce. Instead of steaming them, which is the usual way of cooking them, this recipe includes a sauce with a subtle touch of fennel, coriander, chives, white wine, cream, butter and oil.

INGREDIENTS

1 kg (35 oz) cockles 

150 ml (½ cup) white wine  

60 gr (¼ cup) unsalted butter

2 tbsp cream

1 chive

½ small fennel 

Fresh coriander 

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt 

METHOD

Put the cockles in a big bowl with water, so that they release all the sand. Leave them for at least one hour, then remove them carefully, with your hand or with a spatula, and put them on a plate. Change the water in the bowl, making sure there is no sand left and place the cockles again in  water for another hour (I actually leave them longer).  

Now pour some olive oil on a pan or large saucepan and add the finely chopped chive and fennel. Fry them over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until brown, pour the wine and wait until it completely evaporates. Now add the cockles and cook until they open.

In the meantime, chop some coriander branches and fennel leaves. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the cream, the fresh herbs and about three or four ladles of the cooking water.

Then, serve the cockles in soup plates or bowls, like in the photos, add the broth or fennel sauce on top and… buon appetito with these cockles with fennel sauce!

More seafood ideas here.