Looking for a last minute holiday appetizer idea? We've got you! Here, we zoosh up a classic New England-style clam dip with our petite Mariscadora cockles and then bake the whole thing right in the tin. The result is a perfect dip where each bite is packed with sweet, briny clams. We like to serve this Prune restaurant-style and scoop it onto Triscuits, but crostini would be excellent here, too. A quick little herb salad also keeps things fresh. There’s no need to be rigid about it—feel free to toss together whatever tender green things you have in your fridge.

INGREDIENTS

• One 4-ounce tin Island Creek Oyster x Mariscadora Cockles in Brine
• 1 ounce full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 Tablespoon shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 teaspoons sour cream
• 1 Tablespoon minced sweet onion, plus 2 Tablespoons thinly sliced sweet onion
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest, plus 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice and 1 lemon wedge, for serving
• Hot sauce
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup mixed herbs or tender greens, such as flat leaf parsley, snipped chives, bright green celery leaves
• Olive oil, for drizzling
• Crackers or crostini, for serving

PROCESS

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. Remove the top from the tin of cockles and drain well. Transfer the clams to a small bowl and set the tin on a small rimmed baking sheet or metal pie plate.
3. In the bowl with the cockles, add the cream cheese, mozzarella, sour cream, the 1 tablespoon of minced sweet onion, the lemon zest, and 1 teaspoon of the lemon juice. Season with hot sauce, salt, and pepper. Gently mix to combine. Scrape the mixture back into the cockle tin.
4. Bake the dip for about 15 minutes, or until it is bubbling and beginning to brown on top. Transfer the tin to a plate.
5. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, toss the herbs with the sliced sweet onion and the remaining 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. 
6. Serve the clam dip right away with a lemon wedge, crackers or crostini, and the herb salad for topping.