Welsh Laverbread and Cockles

Calories: 277.6|Fat: 21.1|Carbohydrates: 11|Protein: 12.8 | 20

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Bring the coast to your kitchen with this quick and delicious breakfast Welsh Laverbread and Cockles with bacon. Perfect on thick toast or as a light snack.

a pan with Welsh laverbread and cockles cooked with bacon

This Welsh breakfast feels like a trip to the seaside. There’s nothing like the smell of cockles and laverbread sizzling in a pan to bring the essence of the Welsh coast directly to you, wherever you are.

For those unfamiliar, laverbread is a type of seaweed collected along the coastline and is a quintessentially Welsh ingredient. Laverbread is often served rolled with fine Welsh oatmeal into little cakes and fried into crisp patties with eggs, bacon, and cockles for a traditional Welsh breakfast.

Why You’ll Like It

A taste of Welsh coastal cuisine.
A hearty breakfast perfect for a fulfilling start to the day.
Laverbread seaweed, a unique Welsh ingredient.
Bacon combined with cockles and seaweed might sound unusual to outsiders, but it’s a must-try if you ever visit Wales

For The Perfect Welsh Cockles and Laverbread

How to cook cockles: Rinse them thoroughly under cold water to remove any sand or debris. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add a knob of butter, minced garlic, and chopped parsley. Add the cockles and cover with a lid. Steam for 3-5 minutes until the cockles open. Serve immediately.

What You Need

Onion – a finely chopped onion for frying
Oil – used for frying
Bacon – Use bacon or other alternatives:
- Spinach and Tomatoes: Add fresh spinach leaves and halved cherry tomatoes.
- Garlic and Herbs: Add minced garlic and fresh parsley.
- Mushrooms and Thyme: Add sliced mushrooms and fresh thyme.
Cockles – Use pre-cooked cockles by checking the tips section or the Recipe Note 1.
Laverbread –
- Kale/spinach – Use finely chopped, cooked kale or spinach as alternatives to laverbread.
- Samphire – Samphire is also commonly found along the Welsh coastline and has a slightly salty and crunchy texture.
- Other Welsh alternatives – These include sea lettuce, sea spinach, sea beet and dulse.
- Other options – Try to cook this dish with nori sheets and wakame.
Lemon – You need the lemon juice of 1 lemon.
Black pepper to taste.

Save the Cockles and Laverbread For Later

Leftovers: Transfer any leftovers into an airtight container to be used within 2 – 3 days. When ready to eat, reheat thoroughly in a microwave or on the stove until piping hot.

How to Serve Laverbread and Cockles

Make a salad with lettuce, cucumber and tomatoes. Toss the salad with the laverbread so it’s combined, almost like a dressing.
Flake some smoked salmon or haddock and sprinkle it along with the cockles over the dressed salad.
Grate some cheese over the salad.
Sprinkle breadcrumbs over the top for added texture and flavour.
Serve with crusty bread or new potatoes.

Health Info

Calories: 277.6
Sugar: 3.9
Sodium: 806.6
Fat: 21.1
Carbohydrates: 11
Fiber: 1.3
Protein: 12.8

Welsh Breakfast Laverbread Recipe

Print Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 20

Servings 2 people

Calories 277.6kcal

Description

Bring the coast to your kitchen with this quick and delicious breakfast Welsh Laverbread and Cockles with bacon. Perfect on thick toast or as a light snack.

Ingredients

1 large onion finely chopped
1 tbsp oil for frying
4 rashers of bacon chopped
100 g cooked cockles
120 g laverbread
1 lemon juice only
black pepper to taste

Instructions

Finely chop the onion and bacon. Ensure the cockles are cooked and ready to use.
Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and cook until they are softened and translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
Add the chopped bacon to the pan with the onions. Cook until the bacon is crisp, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the cooked cockles and laverbread, mixing well to combine all the ingredients.
Season with freshly ground black pepper and add the lemon juice. Stir well to incorporate the flavors.
Serve the laverbread and cockles warm as a side dish or on its own. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes:

Precooking Cockles: To cook cockles, rinse well under cold water to remove sand. In a pot over medium-high heat, melt butter and sauté garlic and parsley. Add cockles, cover, and steam for 3-5 minutes until they open. Serve promptly.
Storing: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container; reheat thoroughly before consuming.
Serving: Serve laverbread and cockles atop a salad of lettuce, cucumber, and tomatoes, mixed with laverbread. Add flaked smoked salmon or haddock, grated cheese, breadcrumbs, and serve with crusty bread or new potatoes.
Onion: Finely chopped for frying in oil.
Bacon: Use bacon or alternative options:
- Spinach and Tomatoes: Add fresh spinach leaves and halved cherry tomatoes.
- Garlic and Herbs: Include minced garlic and fresh parsley.
- Mushrooms and Thyme: Use sliced mushrooms and fresh thyme.
Cockles: Use pre-cooked cockles (refer to tips or recipe notes).
Laverbread: Traditional Welsh seaweed paste.
Kale/Spinach: Finely chopped and cooked as alternatives to laverbread.
Samphire: Known for its salty, crunchy texture from Welsh coastlines.
Other Welsh Alternatives: Include sea lettuce, sea spinach, sea beet, and dulse.
Other Options: Experiment with nori sheets and wakame.
Lemon: Juice of 1 lemon.
Black Pepper: To taste