Preparation time
less than 30 mins
Cooking time
10 to 30 mins
Serves
Serves 2
For the beetroot ketchup
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 30g/1oz unsalted butter
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 3 cooked beetroots, peeled and finely chopped
- 220ml/8fl oz water
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 3 tbsp white vinegar
- ½ tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- pinch nutmeg
- olive oil
- 2 sprigs thyme and 1 bay leaf, tied together with cook’s string
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the deep-fried whelks and cockles
- 4 potatoes, peeled and shredded into fine straw fries
- vegetable oil, for deep-frying
- 1 free-range egg
- 50g/1¾oz rice flour
- 50g/1¾oz potato flour
- pinch salt
- 20 cooked whelks, picked from their shells
- 150ml/5fl oz dry white wine
- 100g/3½oz cockles
To serve
- drizzle olive oil
- 200g/7oz Tenderstem broccoli
Method
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To make the beetroot ketchup, heat the oil and butter in a saucepan over a medium heat and sweat the shallot and garlic together with the herbs. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes until thickened. Season to taste. Transfer to a blender and blitz until smooth. Set aside.
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Arrange the shredded potato into the birds nest basket mould. Fill a deep-fat fryer or a large, deep, heavy-bottomed pan two-thirds full with the oil. Heat to 180C (a cube of bread should turn brown in one minute when dropped in.) CAUTION: Hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.
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Carefully lower the potato basket into the fryer and fry until crisp. Drain on kitchen paper.
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Mix together the egg, flours, salt and 150ml/5fl oz of water to make a batter. Dip the whelks and cockles into the batter, shake off any excess and fry until golden and crisp. (You may need to do this in batches.) Drain on kitchen paper.
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Heat a griddle pan until hot, add a drizzle of olive oil and cook the Tenderstem broccoli until charred.
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Pile the cockles and whelks into the potato basket. Serve with the griddled broccoli on the side and the beetroot ketchup for dipping.
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Put the cockles and wine into a saucepan over medium heat, cover and cook for 2 minutes, or until the cockles have opened. Discard any that do not open. Pick the meat from the shells.
