SEAFOOD - Blanched Cockles with Garlic 蒜香伴氽烫血蚶

By Aemelia

Ingredients

• 350 g Cockles
• 1 Red Chilli, de-seeded and chopped finely
• 2 tablespoon Minced Garlic
• 1/2 tablespoon Cooking Oil
• 1/2 tablespoon Mirin or Chinese Cooking Wine
• 1/2 tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
• Chicken Powder or Salt to taste

Details

Adapted from wokkingmum.blogspot.com

Preparation

Step 1

Prepare the garlic first by heat oil in pan.
Add in chilli and Garlic and stir-fry till fragrant but not browned.
Add in Mirin, Light Soy Sauce and Chicken Powder. If you are using Chinese Cooking Wine, add a pinch of sugar too.
Stir to coat well.
Let the seasoned garlic cool.
Now, scrub the cockles clean. I used a toothbrush here.
Soak clams in salted water to let it 'spit' out sand.
Boil a pot of water enough to cover the cockles.
When the water is boiling, turn off fire and throw in all the cockles.
Drain them out in 3 seconds. *1
Place them in cool water or normal tap water and drain so it's not too hot to handle. *2
Remove half the shell and any dirt that maybe be there.
Place some seasoned garlic on each cockles and place then on a dish.
Chill in fridge for at least 30 minutes. *3


Note:

I blanched then for 3 seconds here. If the cockles you bought are bigger or if you preferred them more cooked, ie, less bloody, blanch for 5-7 seconds. Anything longer than that, it's likely that will be cooked. *1
Cool the blanched cockles partially is to stop it from continue cooking and also to make it less hot to while removing the shells. *2
The cockles taste better when chilled but if you can't wait, go ahead to have it immediately. *2