Crusty cockle tart
A small puff pastry tart case filled with cockles in a cream and egg-yolk sauce ("a la poulette" in French).
114 K 4.3/5 (23 reviews)
2 hours 55 min.
Easy
4 people
5 IngredientsLast modified on: March 17th 2013
For 4 people, you will need:
- 1
1 kg cockles - 2
200 g puff or flaky pastry (pâte feuilletée) - 3
200 ml liquid cream - 4
2 egg yolks - 5
chives (optional) - Total weight: 1,440 grams
Change measures:
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 2 hours 25 min.
Cooking: 30 min.
All in all: 2 hours 55 min.
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - 2 hours
Prepare the cockles and the cooking liquid left. This can be done well in advance, or the day before.
Stage 2 - 10 min.
Preheat the oven to 220°C (430°F).
Roll out the pastry and line the tart moulds or tins. Fill with baking beans (or lentils) to prevent the pastry puffing up too much.
Roll out the pastry and line the tart moulds or tins. Fill with baking beans (or lentils) to prevent the pastry puffing up too much.
Stage 3 - 15 min.
Bake the tart cases for around 15 minutes, watching for colouring.
Remove the baking beans and keep the cases hot in the residual oven heat (after turning off).
Remove the baking beans and keep the cases hot in the residual oven heat (after turning off).
Stage 4 - 10 min.
Pour 200 ml liquid cream into a pan and bring to the boil over medium heat. Add pepper but no salt.
Add around 5 tablespoonsful of the cockle cooking liquid and taste to check the seasoning. If necessary, add a little more of the cockle liquid.
Add around 5 tablespoonsful of the cockle cooking liquid and taste to check the seasoning. If necessary, add a little more of the cockle liquid.
Stage 5 - 2 min.
Turn down the heat and add 2 egg yolks.
Stage 6 - 5 min.
Beat to mix thoroughly and continue beating gently until the "à la poulette" (chick) sauce thickens.
Remove from the heat as soon as it is thick enough.
Remove from the heat as soon as it is thick enough.
Stage 7 - 5 min.
Stage 8 - 5 min.
Place a tart case on each plate and fill with a spoonful or two of cockles in sauce.
You can also pour the sauce over whatever you are serving on the side, such as the rice shown here.
Serve immediately.
You can also pour the sauce over whatever you are serving on the side, such as the rice shown here.
Serve immediately.
Remarks
Just before serving, you can add a few chopped chives to the sauce if you wish.
Tarts like this should be served immediately as the sauce will soon start to soften the pastry and make them less appealing.
Tarts like this should be served immediately as the sauce will soon start to soften the pastry and make them less appealing.
And to drink?
A dry white wine, such as a "Gros-plant" from the Nantes region.
Keeping: A few minutes once filled.
Source: Home made.
Nutritional information
| Proteins (gr) | Carbohydrates (gr) | Fats (gr) | Energy value (in k-calories) | Energy value (in k-joules) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole recipe | 170 RDI=50 % | 760 RDI=50 % | 780 RDI=90 % | 2,140 RDI=80 % | 8,950 RDI: 80 % |
| Per 100 g | 10 RDI=3 % | 50 RDI=4 % | 50 RDI=6 % | 150 RDI=5 % | 620 RDI: 5 % |
| Per person | 40 RDI=10 % | 190 RDI=10 % | 200 RDI=20 % | 530 RDI=20 % | 2,240 RDI: 20 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 4 people : 7.55 €
- Per person : 1.90 €
Change currency: 
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
This recipe uses (among others)
Cockles
You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Breton style shellfish and vegetable soup, Cockles and cabbage with smoky cream sauce, How to prepare cockles, Tagliatelle with cockles, Fisherman's Ragout, ... See them all 7
Puff or flaky pastry (pâte feuilletée)
You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Comtoise tart for Seàn, Pecan fruit rolls , Apple Pie, Crusty pistachio, almond and apricot flan, Rustic chicken and mushroom pie, ... See them all 72
Liquid cream
Like these other recipes: Spaghetti with mussels and basil, Baked eggs with chicken and spinach, Duet of creamed cauliflower and cabbage , Penne with Mushrooms, Vegetable rosette tart, ... See them all 170
Egg yolk
Like these other recipes: Chicken breasts in a potato crust, Chocolate cream, Potato galette, Fish in white wine, Dauphinoise potatoes with Serano ham, ... See them all 74
Other recipes you may also like
Meringues
A very simple recipe but which always impresses. June 10th 2019403 K4.5 4 hours 20 min.
Home-made terrine of foie gras
Preparing your own home-made foie gras from raw is immensively satisfying: good quality liver and a simply amazing flavour – much better than anything you can buy. This recipe is a bit tricky, but quite within everyone's grasp, as long as you follow the 3 most delicate stages carefully. These are, in order: de-veining the liver, seasoning and cooking. As usual, I have explained every stage of the recipe in full, with photos to help you. December 16th 20245.27 M 64.2 4 days 15 hours 50 min.
You should not soak strawberries in water
When using strawberries in a recipe, the usual way is to soak in water, which is actually a very bad idea. Just look at how to preserve them here. February 21th 2011176 K3 10 min.
New tiramisu
This new version of tiramisu is easier, and in my opinion much better. You will certainly appreciate, like me, the light creamy taste, this time presented in brandy goblets. January 19th 2015397 K3.3 55 min.
Arizona cupcakes
Cupcakes are small sponge cakes. In their original American version, they are usually decorated with brightly coloured icing. Here's a version inspired by the famous saguaro cactus, so common in Arizona. October 13th 2010207 K 14.6 1 hour 50 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-09-14)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Post a comment or question
Follow this recipe
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.