Textual Chef Textual Chef

Steamed Cockles with Cider and Bacon

Fresh cockles steamed in a rich broth of dry cider, garlic, and butter. Garnished with crispy bacon and herbs for a classic coastal dish.

25 minEasyServes 2310 cal/serving

BritishAppetizerStovetopHigh ProteinLow CarbKetoGluten-FreeNut-FreeEgg-FreeSoy-FreeNightshade-FreeCorn-Free

Cook this free in the appFree. No download, no account. The screen stays awake and each step can run its own timer.

Ingredients

  • 4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 shallots, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 cup dry hard cider
  • 2 lbs fresh cockles, scrubbed
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

  1. 1

    Render 4 slices chopped thick-cut bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crispy, then transfer to a plate.

  2. 2

    Melt 2 tbsp unsalted butter in the skillet, then add 2 diced shallots and 4 minced garlic cloves and cook for 2 minutes.

  3. 3

    Pour in 1/2 cup dry hard cider and bring the liquid to a gentle simmer.

  4. 4

    Add 2 lbs scrubbed fresh cockles, cover tightly, and steam for 3 to 5 minutes until shells open completely.

  5. 5

    Discard any unopened shells, top with bacon and 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, and serve immediately.

Cook this free in the appCooking it now? The app keeps the screen awake and times each step. Free, nothing to install.

Questions

Is there a substitute for shallots in Steamed Cockles with Cider and Bacon?

The entry for Steamed Cockles with Cider and Bacon calls for 2 shallots, diced. In its place: Use half as much yellow or red onion plus a small clove of garlic.

Can I use turkey bacon instead of bacon in Steamed Cockles with Cider and Bacon?

Yes. Turkey bacon renders almost no fat, so add a tablespoon of oil wherever the method counts on the drippings. As written, the entry for Steamed Cockles with Cider and Bacon uses 4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped.

Can I make Steamed Cockles with Cider and Bacon dairy-free?

Yes. The dairy in Steamed Cockles with Cider and Bacon is 2 tbsp unsalted butter. Swap the butter for olive oil where it melts, or a plant-based block butter where it is creamed. The richness shifts slightly, but the method does not change.

Is Steamed Cockles with Cider and Bacon low-carb?

A serving of Steamed Cockles with Cider and Bacon carries 8 g of carbohydrate, 1 g of it fiber. Against a strict 20 g keto day that is 40 percent of the budget; against a moderate 100 g low-carb day it is 8 percent.

How many calories are in Steamed Cockles with Cider and Bacon?

One serving (the recipe makes 2) is about 310 calories, with 24 g protein, 8 g carbohydrate and 18 g fat, plus 1 g fiber and 680 mg sodium. The figures are estimates computed from the ingredient list.

Serve it with

Cook this free in the app

Textual Chef is 4,530 plain-text recipes, free to read and free to cook from. No account, no paywall, no ads, no life stories. Open this one in the app and each quantity sits inside the step that uses it, so you read once and cook.

Every recipe is curated or public-domain sourced, written to one template and checked before it publishes. Nothing here is a scraped blog post.

Cook this free in the appNo download needed. It opens in your browser. The kitchen tools (planner, shopping list, pantry, import) are $5.33 a month billed annually; the first 30 days are free.

More British entries

All British recipes · All Appetizer recipes