When the sun comes out, I start thinking about road trips. Every time I gas up my car, and the display tells me I can now travel 500 miles before having to stop again, my mind runs wild with the possibilities. I can’t help it – road trips are in my blood.
Growing up, our favourite (and mine still) was to drive the snaking coastal Highway 101 all the way from Seattle to Los Angeles. Day 3 was always a gastronomic wonder, starting with a lumberjack breakfast in the Northern California redwoods, lunching picnic-style among the vineyards north of Napa and, finally, crossing the Golden Gate Bridge in time for a sunset dinner at Fisherman’s Wharf. The San Francisco classic: clam chowder in a bread bowl.
I have recreated it here in the UK, with a few regional substitutions. Sourdough bread bowls are hard to find, so I take what I can get. Instead of clams I use more local cockles. And finally, instead of sitting ‘on the dock of the bay’, I carry a flask of chowder, a bread bowl and a rug to the top of the Chiltern Hills, where I am consoled by the sweeping view over the soft-focus English countryside. 
But with every spoonful, if I close my eyes, I swear I can hear the foghorns in the distance.
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A Bite of Britain: Cockle Chowder in Bread Bowls
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
- Diet: Pescatarian, Omnivore
Description
A British twist on a classic!
Creamy cockle chowder served in crusty bread bowls.
Ingredients
- 3 sticks celery
- 1 onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 lbs (454 g) new potatoes
- 2 rashers streaky bacon
- 2 cups (473 ml) stock (fish, vegetable or chicken)
- 100 g (3/4 cup) butter
- 75 g (3/4 cup) plain flour
- 2 1/2 cups (591 ml) single cream (half and half)
- 1/2 cup (118 ml) semi-skimmed milk
- 1/2 cup (118 ml) dry white wine
- 10 oz (284 g) shelled cockles
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 round, crusty bread roll per person
- Handful of parsley
Instructions
- Finely chop the celery, onion, garlic, and potatoes in a food processor. Transfer to a large saucepan.
- Cut the bacon into short strips and add to the saucepan. Cover with stock and boil gently for 20 minutes.
- In another saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour and stir until a nutty brown roux forms.
- Slowly whisk in the cream and milk, then the wine.
- Stir the sauce into the vegetable saucepan. Add the cockles and season to taste.
- Carefully cut off the tops of the bread rolls and gently hollow out the insides without breaking the crust.
- Ladle some chowder into each bread roll bowl, garnish with parsley, and serve with the bread roll lids for dipping.
Notes
- For a richer flavor, use homemade chicken or fish stock.
- If cockles are unavailable, substitute with mussels or clams.
- To prevent soggy bread bowls, pre-bake them for 5-7 minutes before adding the chowder.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: British
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ½ cups
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 700
- Fat: 28
- Saturated Fat: 18
- Unsaturated Fat: 8
- Carbohydrates: 35
- Fiber: 4
- Protein: 15
- Cholesterol: 80
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I find cockles, and can I substitute another shellfish?
Cockles are available at fishmongers and some Asian grocery stores. Clams are the closest substitute in both texture and briny flavor for this chowder.
How do I hollow out bread bowls without them falling apart?
Use a serrated knife to cut a lid from a round crusty loaf, then pull out the interior in chunks, leaving about an inch of bread on all sides. Toasting the inside briefly in the oven helps it hold up against the liquid.
Can I make the chowder ahead and reheat it?
Yes, prepare the chowder up to a day ahead and refrigerate it. Reheat it gently over low heat since boiling can make the cockles tough and may cause a cream-based chowder to break.
