Pembrokeshire Laverbread and Cockle Breakfast

Name: Pembrokeshire Laverbread and Cockle Breakfast
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Welsh
Ingredients: 200 g laverbread; 40 g medium oatmeal; 250 g cooked cockles; 8 rashers welsh back bacon; 25 g salted butter; 4 large free-range eggs; 0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper; 1 item Lemon

Crisp bacon, plump cockles, and savoury oat-crusted laverbread patties fried together for a classic West Wales coastal morning feast.

🇬🇧United Kingdom· West Wales

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 30 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 480 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

200 g laverbread — cooked laver seaweed puree
40 g medium oatmeal — plus extra for dusting
250 g cooked cockles — rinsed and drained thoroughly
8 rashers welsh back bacon — thickly sliced
25 g salted butter — Welsh butter preferred
4 large free-range eggs — at room temperature
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper — to taste
1 item Lemon — cut into four wedges

Equipment

•Large heavy frying pan
•Mixing bowl
•Fish slice or spatula
•Kitchen paper
•Measuring spoons

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 480 kcal
fat: 31 g
carbs: 16 g
fibre: 3 g
protein: 34 g
calories: 480 kcal

Instructions

1
Mix the laverbread, oatmeal, and a pinch of black pepper together in a bowl until thick.
2
Divide the mixture into four equal portions and shape them into flat round patties.
3
Dust each laverbread patty lightly with a little extra oatmeal.
4
Heat a large frying pan over a medium hob flame.
5
Add the bacon rashers and fry for 3 to 4 minutes per side until crisp and golden.
6
Transfer the cooked bacon to a warm plate, keeping the rendered fat in the pan.
7
Add the laverbread patties to the hot bacon fat and fry for 3 minutes on each side until crisp.
8
Move the patties onto the warm plate alongside the bacon.
9
Melt the butter in the same pan, then add the drained cockles and warm through for 2 minutes.
10
Spoon the hot cockles onto the serving plate next to the bacon and laverbread.
11
Crack the eggs into the pan and fry until the whites are set and yolks remain runny.
12
Plate the fried eggs alongside the bacon, cockles, and laverbread cakes, serving with lemon wedges.

Chef's tips

Ensure the cockles are well drained and patted dry with kitchen paper before hitting the pan to prevent excess liquid boiling the shellfish. If the laverbread mixture feels too loose to shape into patties, simply stir in an extra tablespoon of oatmeal and rest for 5 minutes.

Ingredient substitutions

cooked cockles → small brown shrimps or chopped baby clams
laverbread → finely shredded fresh nori or blanched samphire mixed with oats
medium oatmeal → coarse rolled oats lightly crushed

Storage

Cook and consume immediately; leftover cooked laverbread patties can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Reheating

Reheat refrigerated laverbread patties gently in a dry frying pan over medium-low heat for 3 minutes per side until thoroughly hot.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Overcooking the cockles, which causes them to become rubbery and tough
•Using too little oatmeal, causing the laverbread patties to break apart during frying
•Frying over excessive heat, which burns the oatmeal coating before the patties warm through