Have you heard about the dish called “Spicy Cockle Salad”? Maybe not, right? It is a famous Thai dish that will blow your taste. And here is steps-by-steps guidance on how to cook this refreshing and tasty dish.
Salad is a favorite dish of many families because of its diverse types and flavors. You may have eaten or heard about the typical salad like dried beef salad, sesame jellyfish salad. But have you ever tried Spicy Cockle Salad? It is not only attractive and tasty but also healthy as it contains a lot of vegetables and blood cockle – one of the top well-known seafood in the world.
Let’s discover some common health benefits of blood cockles.
A low calories food item
Unlike salmon which contains 180 kcal in 100g, 100g of cockles contains only 53kcal. Additionally, the amount of fat in 100g of cockles is low around 0,7g. So it is good for those who want to lose weight.
A great source of vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is an essential vitamin our body can’t produce. We have to absorb this vitamin from animal sources. And cockle is a wonderful source of vitamin B12 because it comprises over 23 times the amount of vitamin B12 than beef.
For those who haven’t known, vitamin B12 plays a vital role in producing red blood cells, strengthening bones, and preventing osteoporosis. It is also beneficial to our mental health by improving our mood and reducing the risk of memory loss.
Rich in Omega-3
Omega-3 is a type of fat that cannot be produced in our body and we have to consume them through vegetables or animals. It helps to protect the heart and improve the health of the eyes. Besides, it is believed to reduce the risks of suffering from some forms of cancer.
Besides, blood cockle is a good source of Omega-3. 100g of cockles represents 12% of our recommended weekly intake of Omega-3 (based on a recommended 3000 mg weekly intake).
How To Cook Spicy Cockle Salad ?
Ingredients
- 1 kg blood cockle
- 1 carrot
- 1 onion
- 30 grams red onions
- 30 grams horn chilies
- 30 grams lemongrass plants
- 50 grams kumquat
- 50 grams tomatoes
- 30 ml fish sauce
- 2 limes
- 10 grams garlic
- 15 grams thyme
- 15 ml rice vinegar
- 50 grams jaggery sugar
- 50 ml tamarind juice
Instructions
Rinse the blood cockle, and preliminary treat the other ingredients
- Soak the cockles in salt water added minced chill for at least 30 minutes, so they will open up and expel any dirt inside. Then rewash the cockle with water.
- Wash all the vegetables.
- For carrot and horn chilies, cut them into short sticks around 2 inches.
- Then cut the onion, red onion, kumquat, and lemongrass into thin slices.
- Make matchsticks of tomatoes and small cubes of limes.
- Rinse and dry the thyme.
- Preliminary treat all the ingredients
Cook the blood cockle
- Heat water in a pot until it boils and add one tablespoon of rice vinegar.
- Then put the blood cockle in for around 30s and turn off the heat. Cook the cockle for around 30s
- Rinse the blood cockle with cold water and remove one of their shells. Remove one shell of the cockle
Make the fish sauce for the salad
- Add green peppers, red peppers, and garlic to the mortar.
- Crush them and add jaggery sugar. Firmly crush green peppers, red peppers, and garlic.
- Use the pestle to grind and make the jaggery sugar melted.
- Add tamarind juice and fish sauce.
- Finally, stir for all to blend. Stir for all ingredients to blend
Arrange the components
- Place the blood cockles in a big bowl.
- Arrange the prepared vegetables above
Mix the salad
- Add the fish sauce into the bowl and combine everything.
Finish the salad
- Place the salad on a dish.
- Add a little bit of fish sauce above.
Garnish Spicy Cockle Salad
- Garnish the dish with the thyme (or cilantro).
- Enjoy the unique flavor of the Spicy Cockle Salad.
Video
Notes
Choose the fresh blood cockles when buying
Choose the blood cockles with medium size. Because the small ones will be wrinkled when we cook. but the big ones will be tough when we eat. The fresh blood cockles are usually the ones with their shells open. If the shells are all closed, you can identify the fresh ones by their smell. Because the dead ones always smell terrible. Avoid buying seafood in the mid days of lunar months since the quality of them is not high compared to the other days in months.Make the onion crispier
To make the onion crispier and reduce the strong pungent smell, soak them in water with ice after slicing them. With the aromatic flavor and beautiful colors, the Spicy Cockle Salad is an attractive dish for family meals, party, etc. So let’s follow the recipe and share with me your dish through the comment below.Nutrition
