Greenland cockle | DE L'EAU À LA BOUCHE

Illustration couleur d'une coque du Groenland.

The Greenland cockle has a thin, round shell with fine radial ribs. Viewed from the side, it is shaped like a heart.

Creamy white with shades of olive and reddish brown in colour; the interior is off-white.

The two shell valves are almost identical in size and shape.

Name

Greenland cockle
Serripes groenlandicus

Type

Seafood - molluscs

Other names

Greenland smoothcockle

Kitchen name

Greenland cockle

Resource status

Not determined

Consumption season

Fresh all year round.

SIZE:

Up to 11 cm.

LIFE EXPECTANCY:

Up to 48 years.

LIFE CYCLE:

Sexual maturity reached after approximately two to three years for males and three to four years for females.

Greenland cockles are hermaphrodites; in other words, they have both male and female parts. Sperm and eggs are expelled, and fertilization takes place in the water column. The embryos develop into free-swimming larvae before metamorphosing into the juvenile form and settling on the bottom.

Coastal zone, up to 100 m depth.

The Greenland cockle buries itself in soft sea bottoms of sand or mud.

Photographie d'une coque du Groenland entrouverte, sur un sol en sable.

The Greenland cockle prefers soft bottoms.
Credit : Nadezhda Samoylova, photo taken in the White Sea, in 2020.

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PREYS:

Plankton

PREDATORS:

Crabs
Cod and other bottom fish
Seals

MACHINES:

Hydraulic dredge.

REGULATIONS:

Offshore clam diggers (Stimpson’s surf clams and northern quahog) can harvest Greenland cockles as an unrestricted incidental catch.

There is no directed fishing for Greenland cockles.

Recreational harvesting? Yes, but under certain conditions.

Greenland cockles can be hand-harvested recreationally. However, these shellfish can be toxic. Be sure to find out about harvesting conditions and whether your area is open. This information can be found on the Fisheries and Oceans Canada website.

Greenland cockle is a Smarter seafood-listed species.

BENEFITS:

Bivalve molluscs are excellent sources of vitamin B12, mega-3 fatty acids, choline, iron, selenium, and zinc. They are low in fat and carbohydrates.

LET’S COOK:

Meat-like texture, tender. Delicate flesh with a sweet-salty flavour.

Cockle can be prepared in many different ways: in a white wine sauce, braised in a pan, in risottos or pasta, and it can even be eaten raw, as in sashimi.

OUR CULINARY ADVICE:

Before preparation, soak Greenland cockles in fresh water for several hours to remove sand from the shells.

Document détaillant les mesures de précaution quant à la consommation des mollusques. Information sur la conservation, le maniement et la cuisson.

To avoid poisoning, it is important to follow safe shellfish storage, handling and cooking practices.
Source : DFO

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Document detailing precautionary measures for shellfish consumption.

Bivalve shellfish such as oysters, clams, scallops, mussels and cockles feed on microscopic plankton in the water. Changes in water quality can cause bacteria, biotoxins, or viruses to build up in the shellfish tissue and make those who eat it sick.

Contaminated shellfish do not necessarily smell, taste or look different from uncontaminated shellfish.

Shellfish storing times

Refrigerate shellfish immediately after purchase and during transport
Never refreeze thawed shellfish
Freezer -18 °C (0 °F) or colder
Shucked (out of shell) 3-4 months
Don’t freeze live mussels, clams and oysters
Refrigerator 0-4 °C (32-40 °F)
Shucked (out of shell) 1-2 days
Live mussels and clams 2-3 days
Live oysters 7-10 days

Handling shellfish

Live shellfish are in an open container covered with a damp towel
Shucked shellfish (out of shell) are in a tightly closed container
Raw shellfish and its juices do not touch other foods
Thaw shellfish in the refrigerator and use within 12 hours
Thaw shellfish by immersing in cold water for about an hour in a leak-proof plastic bag
If you cook shellfish immediately, microwave it on ‘defrost’ setting until the shellfish package is softened, but still icy
Do not keep oysters at room temperature longer than 60 minutes
Going on a picnic? Keep shellfish in a cooler
Cooked shellfish should be eaten within 3 days
Alcohol and hot sauce do not kill harmful bacteria

Cooking shellfish

Scrub shells with a stiff brush under drinking water before cooking
Thoroughly cook shellfish to reduce the chances of foodborne illness
Throw away any shellfish that do not open once cooked
Fry – minimum 3 minutes – at 190 °C (375 °F)
Boil – in boiling water – 3 to 5 minutes – more after shells open
Steam – in a single layer – 4 to 9 minutes
Bake – preheated oven – minimum 10 minutes – at 230 °C (450 °F)

If you feel sick, call your doctor!

More information: learn more about shellfish safety at http://dfo-mpo.gc.ca/shellfish-mollusques/index-eng.htm

Species

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