Species sheet · The Edible Ocean
common cockle
You rake it up, having walked over it without knowing.
- Steamed open
- In soups and stews
- With pasta and a drizzle of oil
- In French
- Coque commune
- Scientific name
- Cerastoderma edule
- In the water
- Benthic; brackish; depth range 0 - 5 m; shallow intertidal and coastal sediments.
- Season & buying
- Months with an 'r' (September to April); ask your fishmonger.
- Common length
- ~3.5 cm
- How to identify it
- Rounded heart-shaped shell
Regular concentric ridges
Cream to pale brown colour
On the plate
Sweet, briny flesh with a delicate, firm chew.
Avoid: Closed shells that do not open after cooking.
Cockles have been harvested for centuries in Europe and are a classic ingredient in Welsh laverbread.
In Umay recipes
One Umay recipe calls for it.
