36 EDIBLE BRITISH MOLLUSKS. 



Scalloped Cockles. — Wash the cockles well, then scald 

 some dozens of them ; strain the liquor into a stew- 

 pan, and add thereto 2 ounces of butter, mixed with 2 

 ounces of flour, a little cream, anchovy, nutmeg, and 

 cayenne ; stir the sauce over the fire to boil and reduce 

 for ten minutes, then add a couple of yolks of eggs, and 

 a little lemon-juice, and some chopped parsley; add the 

 cockles ; stir altogether over the fire for a few minutes, 

 and fill some scallop shells with this preparation. Cover 

 them over with a thick coating of fried bread-crumbs ; 

 place them on a baking-sheet in the oven for five mi- 

 nutes, and serve them quite hot.* 



To Stew Cockles. — Clean them and wash them from 

 the sand in three or four waters ; boil them and pick 

 them out of the shells. To a pint of the fish put half 

 a pint of fish- stock, 2 ounces of butter, and some pepper 

 and salt ; add a spoonful of flour, stirred in gradually, 

 and simmer over a slow fire until it is of a proper thick- 

 ness; add a large spoonful of essence of anchovy and 

 one of mushroom ketchup. f 



The natives of the seignory of Gower cook cockles in 

 various ways ; sometimes they fry them with ham. They 

 also make excellent pies of cockles with chopped chives, 

 e. layer of bacon being placed at the bottom of the dish ; 

 or they fry the cockles with oatmeal and chives, or oat- 

 meal alone; they also make of them an excellent and 

 nutritious soup. 



In Ireland, the common cockles are cooked in their 

 shells over the fire, and eaten with oaten cake. The 

 shells are separated by twisting them apart, and a little 

 butter is put into the shell, which is then placed on the 

 turf-fire till the fish inside is fried. 



* Francatelli. f Murray's Modern Domestic Cookery. 



