75 gm fine salt
1 kg cockles or clams,
cleaned
2 long red chillies,
thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 ⁄ cup (loosely packed)
samphire (see note),
tender tips only
1 tbsp fish sauce (or to taste)
2 tsp caster sugar (or to taste)
2 tsp lemon juice (or to taste)
1⁄ cup (loosely packed)
Vietnamese mint or Thai
basil, to serve
Baguette, to serveCockles with samphire
and chilli-garlic oil
SERVES 4-6 // PREP TIME 15 MINS // COOK 10 MINS (PLUS SOAKING)
“I’m lucky enough to live in a part of the world where on the same
afternoon my kids and I can walk to the river, pluck a few cockles
out of the water, pick samphire from the nearby shoreline, wander
home and cook this dish for tea,” says Hamilton. “Samphire has
a crunch and a saltiness that’s perfect with seafood. Try this dish
with mussels, yabbies, periwinkles and prawns.”
GARLIC OIL
200 ml canola or other
neutral-flavoured oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
lengthways on a mandoline1 Combine salt and 1 litre cold
water in a large bowl and stir to
dissolve. Add cockles or clams
and soak to remove excess
grit (30 minutes), drain well.2 For garlic oil, heat oil in a
small saucepan over medium
heat to 170°C. Add garlic
and cook, stirring often, until
golden and crisp (3-5 minutes).
Remove garlic with a slotted
spoon and drain on paper
towels. Strain oil through a
fine metal sieve, then cool.
3 Heat 50ml garlic oil in a
wok or a deep frying pan over
medium-high heat. Add chilli
and garlic and stir-fry until
fragrant (10-20 seconds). Add
cockles and samphire and
toss until cockles open, adding
a couple of tablespoons of
water if needed to prevent
garlic and chilli from scorching
(4-7 minutes). Add fish
sauce, sugar and lemon,
seasoning to taste and
tossing to combine.Serve topped with herbs and
fried garlic chips, with baguette
on the side.
NoteSamphire is available
from select greengrocers.
Beer suggestionA wild, salty,
sour beer such as Wildflower
Brewing Solera.●