fish
( Teisennau Rhython )
( Welsh recipe )
1 litre / 1 quart ( 2 pints ) fresh cockles
30g / 1oz oatmeal
oil for deep frying
90g / 3oz plain ( all purpose ) flour
30g / 1oz butter
1 egg
1/4 pint water
salt
If using fresh Unshelled cockles :
Leave the cockles to stand in slightly salted water, sprinkled with the oatmeal,
overnight. Drain and scrub thouroghly to remove grit and dirt.
Place in a saucepan of boiling salted water for three minutes until the shells
open. When cool, remove the cockles from their shells.
Rub the butter into the flour and add a pinch of salt. Separate the egg yolk and beat lightly. Add the egg yolk and water to the flour and beat until the batter is smooth.
Heat the oil in a pan and, using a slotted spoon, dip the cockles,
one at a time, into the batter, and then into the oil ( It's important not
to overfill the pan ). When golden brown and crisp all over, remove from
the oil.
Serve with brown bread and slices of lemon