Ingredients
- 2 pounds small cockles
- 3 cups water
- 1/2 cup medium-dry Sherry
- 1 (1 1/2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled, thinly sliced, and cut into very thin matchsticks (1/4 cup)
- 1/2 cup (1-inch) pieces of fresh cilantro stems, plus
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 bunch scallions (white and pale green parts only), coarsely chopped (1/4 cup)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Directions
- Rinse cockles in a colander under cold running water.
- Bring water to a boil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over high heat, then add sherry, ginger, cilantro stems, scallions and sea salt and return to a boil.
- Add cockles and cook, covered, until shells open wide, 3 to 5 minutes. (Discard any cockles that remain unopened after 5 minutes.)
- Divide cockles among 6 bowls using tongs or a slotted spoon, then ladle out broth into a fine-mesh sieve lined with a paper towel set over a bowl, working from top, leaving any silt in bottom of skillet.
- Ladle strained broth into bowls of cockles and top with cilantro leaves.