Cockles with St. Agur Cheese and Horseradish Leeks
Pierre Gagnaire, Restaurant Pierre Gagnaire, Paris. Flavors of France. Total time: 30 to 60 minutes. Difficulty: Easy.
Ingredients
| 120 g | Saint Agur cheese | |
| 3 kg | cockles, well cleaned and sand disgorged | |
| 3 | shallots, finely cut | |
| 60 g | butter | |
| — | white wine | |
| 2 | sprigs of thyme | |
| 1 | bay leaf | |
| 1 Tbsp. | 15 ml | chive, finely chopped |
| — | Salt / Espelette chili | |
| 600 g | leeks, white part only, well cleaned | |
| 30 ml | olive oil | |
| 50 ml | water | |
| 30 g | grated fresh horseradish |
Instructions
Cooking the cockles
- In a large saucepan, sweat the shallots in butter without coloring; add the white wine, thyme, bay leaf, and a touch of chili and bring to a boil.
- Add the cockles to the boiling liquid, stir well and cover.
- Drain as soon as the cockles open.
- Strain the liquid through a cloth and remove the cockles from their shells. Set aside.
St. Agur and cockle broth
- Reduce the liquid by half.
- Split the cockles and place on a serving platter.
- Blend the reduced liquid with the cold St. Agur until emulsified.
- Add the chives and salt to taste; pour over the cockles.
Horseradish leeks
- Split the leeks into quarters lengthwise, then slice into 1 cm lengths.
- Cook in a sauté pan with the olive oil and 50 ml water until very soft.
- Cool to room temperature before seasoning with horseradish.
Presentation
- Divide the warm leeks among 6 bowls.
- In front of your guests, top the leeks with cockles with St. Agur.