Soak the cockles in salt water for 2 to 3 hours. Cockles will expel mud and sand trapped inside the shell.

Scrub the exterior to remove mud and sand stuck on the shell.

Parboil (half boil) the cockles to medium—parboiling helps to retain flavour and umami while ensuring most of the bacteria is killed.

Ensure that every cockle can be opened. Cockles that cannot be opened after cooking are unhealthy and must be discarded.

Wash the cooked cockles under running water to remove any remaining bits of sand and mud trapped under the meat.