Coastal Foraging; Winkles Gather & Cook.
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- Опубліковано 10 лют 2025
- Making use of an abundant source of free food, found all around the British & Irish coastline & Northern European waters from Northern Spain to Russia & introduced to North America!!
I was born and raised in Essex in the 50's, Sunday afternoon tea would be Winkles, brown shrimp, cockles, bread & butter, salad and jelly for dessert, Mum would have whelks and maybe jellied eels, I haven't had winkles in over 60 years, now I live on the coast in Canada, although we don't have cockles here, we do have winkles everywhere so I'm going to give them go as soon as it's ice-out time, thanks for the great video bloke.
Remember back in the 70s with me dad and Nan collecting cockles and Winkels off of sheerness but only ate Cockles you can stick them Winkels where the Sun don’t shine good video mate
The old Rolfe Harris song 🤣🤣
Cheers me old mucker, glad it brought back memories for you!!
As a landlocked girl in the middle of the United States, where I am surrounded by ever kind of how you could possibly want I don’t get to seafood I love now my other half that I am dating is in the UK and I am incredibly excited about getting to wild forage and try things like this, so I appreciate you actually doing a video on how to prepare Winkies because that’s not one I hadn’t necessarily seen Dan although I had heard about it and you actually prove there’s a lot of meat to be had for a small amount of foraging and I am a diehard let me forage for my herbs, veggies, berries, mushrooms, and even our meat here because hunting season and fishing is huge in Montana so I appreciate it even three years after you put the video app so thank you
Bloody hell I was going to bed I’m starving now! Thanks for a great video as always! Thanks fella
Martin thanks pal!!
winkles are lovely allways ate them since i was a kid
those tortellinis de winkleonys look class mate
Lol Tom, thanks, they were delicious mate!
Great vid mate. You can’t beat a battered winkle.
Lol Kev, you're the king of double entendres!!
A trip down memory lane there mate, I haven't had winkles for years! I like the way you are keeping it real mate eating winkles not like that namby panby John Locker eating all that rubbish like scallops and lobster etc. Lol 🤣😂
Great video as per usual mate! 😉🐚🐚🐚👍
Lol Damo if I could get lobsters & scallops in the amounts that John gets I wouldn't be messing around with winkles, that's for sure mate!!
@@shorefishingessex Would you "deep fry them in your special batter and add salad"? :)
I remember my old mum making us winkle sandwiches on a Sunday evening
My nan used to have us kids (at the time) picking out winkles and peeling prawns every Sunday evening aswell...great memories of a fading east London tradition 👌
bowlocks!! Loving that name & your profile picture is pie n' mash, I wonder where you hail from, lol!!
weekenderfisher 1984 another East Ender!! There must be loads of us around!!
@@shorefishingessex Leytonstone, now costa del Canvey
@@bowlocks Yeah I know a few ex-pat EastEnders on the Island, I'm a Leyton Orient supporter from Bethnal Green now residing in Rayleigh!!
Always look forward to your uploads, very interesting and informative as always.
Scott thank you my friend!
Winkles and cockles me and me old nana use to love sitting on Southend sea front with a cup of cockles and winkles with our toothpicks bit of vinegar lovely Hubble you cannot beat fresh sea food thanks for sharing mate all the best just subscribed as well enjoying the videos god bless
Thanks for the kind words sir! Stay strong my friend.
Great video mate 👍 brought back many happy memories of when I was a child 👍👍
Pat thank you, I'm hearing that a lot through these comments, winkle picking must be a thing of the past these days!!
They are beautiful in a garlic and cream sauce over pasta ❤️ wonderful video
Amiee thank you, that dish sounds delicious!!
I ain't eaten them since i was a kid.The way you cook them in batter looks really tasty, i'm gonna give them a bash. I'm only 10mins drive from Canvey Island
My grandparents from London, used to holiday on Canvey Island. They had 6 kids and not much money so Canvey Island did the trick!
William thanks, why not give them a bash? You should have a limitless supply on Canvey!!
Looked better than a big mac lol good work! winkles take me back to as a kid :)
That fritter on a bun looked amazing! Paul should begin his own winkle burger business!
G H I'm glad you enjoyed the video, thank you!
Lol Colin!!
Lovely job. We have millions of winkles here at Tollesbury....I am gonna eat some of the little sods! Yummy recipe too. Great video thank you. 👍👍👍👍👍👍
Nigel no problems my friend, good luck with the winkles!!
What you cook just always looks delicious!
Maggie thank you!!
Nice video Paul. I hadn't eaten these for years, then I collected a few down East Sussex last year and ate them the traditional way. The flavour took me straight back to when I used to go round my nan's in Plaistow, when I was a wee nipper. Lovely little tasty gems, but take a little work.
Ironix1 I haven't been around Plaistow way for a long time, glad this vid brought back memories for you!! All the best.
Paul.
A very tasty treat indeed , I was brought up on this grub, just as nice as shrimp, try not to tell everyone LOL I suppose this is one working class food we can call our own, remember salmon was once thought peasant food, next time I have some I fancy some garlic butter with them. Great vid Paul keep em coming matey.
Enjoyed your video
them little winkle cakes look bang on mate
Fishy 0000 they tasted lovely mate!
Another blinder of a video mate 👍
weekendfisher 1984 thank you kindly sir!!
I would have winkles above any other shellfish,My grandparents had a caravan in Aberystwyth my and my brother would collect buckets full,just beautiful eaten warm with vinegar,salt and white pepper,some of my earliest memories is my late grandad pulling winkles out of the shell......happy times,we would put the old beauty spot on our face ❤️❤️👍
Stephen thanks, glad the video brought back memories for you, I bet they was nice & clean from Aberystwyth!
Winkles were my favourite 😍
Lol Nic!!
Nice video 👍
Cheers John!
Thank you! Winkles are a traditional food over here and I know my nan loved them, but I've never had a taste. The fried winkles look lovely. Going to gather some tomorrow :)
Good luck, they taste better than they look!!
Good to see you back out and about!can't wait to get down to my mum's in Broadstairs for some fishing and beach hunting now the nice weather is coming.
Till next time good luck and health mate!
redlock943 thank you, have a great time in Broadstairs, I've been meaning to get down to Botany Bay for years but never get around to it!!
@@shorefishingessex it is lovely there,my dad has a blinding bass spot at minnis bay
Amy, die hard seafood chowder girl so the idea of winkles, mussels, clams, tiny shrimp anything like that in seafood chowder and makes me very happy although I am dying to try a razor clam we don’t have them here or at least not that I’m aware of I’ve never seen them on the menu never had an opportunity to buy them in the any specialty seafood shop where I live so that is one of those things that I’m dying to try when I get to come to England very soon
These are a very underrated food. I imagine they would go great in a curry or a paella.
Nice one Paul buddy, I'm partial to the odd winkle every now again, love the recipe at the end mate, enjoyed the video, hope your well buddy 😊
Cheers Joe, I think they're underrated & the recipe is one I see on TV years ago & copied (quite badly!!) I think It works with small stuff like this, all good down here in the South of Essex, stay safe pal!
Wow! When I was a youngster living in London’s Maida Vale with my parents, I always looked forward to Sundays. That was when the barrow boys would come around with cooked shrimp and winkles. If my gran was visiting or my aunts, they would get a couple of pints of each to have with our Sunday tea. Out would come the pin cushion and over some sort of beverage (tea?, brown ale?) they would merrily chat away while removing the winkles from their shells and cleaning the shrimp. When tea was ready there would be salads, lovely fresh bread and butter, malt vinegar and a big plate each of shrimp (prawns) and winkles. The trick for me was to not examine them too closely but they were uniquely delicious. I always made a winkle sandwich followed by a slice of Joe Lyons Victoria sponge. Your idea of winkle fritters looks amazing but sadly I cannot get any winkles in Toronto. Thanks again for the memories Paul. Cheers, Colin.
Cheers Colin, I love hearing of your old memories, it also brings back memories for me too like the Sunday tea you mentioned, it was religiously adhered to & my whole family would gather every Sunday without fail, usually around my nan's because we all lived within a small area of the East End, it was a time to catch up & gossip & I could also play with my cousins too, usually hide n' seek!! Also you don't get to hear people say barrow boy anymore & the Lyons sponge you speak of gives me vague recollections of the Lyons Tea House on the Strand!! Thanks for the kind words Colin, all the best.
Paul.
Do you remember the song “All of me life I wanted to be a barrow boy?” My English Family in Canada would sing it at family parties to a lot of laughter. The last time we did it was after a posh dinner at posh hotel here where we went to the bar for an after dinner drink. Everyone was dressed to the nines which made what happened even funnier! There was a pianist playing and we asked if he knew that song! Did he? We laughed so much as we sang with him yelling “Get off me barrel!” Yes I do miss the fun and family of the old days and you remind me a lot of it. I still want to try your winkle fritters. Cheers, Colin.
To be honest Colin I hadn't heard of it before, it's probably a little before my time but I'll ask all of my older relatives!! I listened to it on UA-cam & it sounds a lot like all of those old sing a long numbers you used to hear but sadly don't anymore, I'll have to do an East End series of videos, don't know how they would fit into this channel though, I might have to start a new channel!! Cheers Colin, all the best.
Paul.
If you do an East End or Cockney channel, I’ll be your number one fan. Here’s a song the whole expat Brit colony here loves to sing at “dos” which you probably know “Knees up Mother Brown! Danny La Rue used to sing a lot of the golden oldies but he’s gone now so maybe your new channel will revive our “heritage🙄”. I’m smiling. Cheers Mate.
Cor! Lovely. Remember winkling with me daughter when she was young. At it for ages we were. Gona get me some. See yu out there. ATB Dave aka wackyswanderings
Dave thanks, the simple pleasures in life are what it's all about, all the best my friend. Paul.
Winkle sandwiches was a Sunday favourite when I was a kid
Tony I think I've set off a lot of reminiscing amongst people with this one!!
As a kid I used to have winkles for tea every Saturday - a habit that stopped after I had a dodgy lot that gave me food poisoning! Haven't been able to face them since.
Bill glad to bring back memories for you, albeit bad ones!!
great vid
metalguru01 thanks!
Just collected a bucket full last weekend they were delicious
Thomas ain't they just!!
Hi Paul, hope the lockdown is over for you over there so you can get back to normal living. I have never tried those before but see them in their thousands on my travels. My mother in law loves them we call them pūpū here in NZ, and after seeing that fritter recipe I must give it a try one day. 😬. Take care
Hi Mike we are still in lockdown but there are fewer restrictions now here in UK, problem I have now is lack of work & money & the weather is just plain crap lately!! The winkles here are really underrated, They have a pleasant,ocean distinctive subtle taste, I think they are worth the effort but the desire to eat them nowadays is a thing of the past, people just can't be bothered, especially when they can buy junk food so easily & cheaply!! Take care of yourself & your family Mike, all the best, Paul.
never had winkles before, love whelks so definitely gonna give them a go next time i'm by the coast.
slaneyside I think the taste & texture of winkles are superior to whelks but that's just my opinion, give them a go & see what you think!
Hi there Paul,
Good to see you out again.
How did your interview go?
Pressed wrong button.
I hope that all is well with you and yours.
Please ignore the question.
I have just been catching up.
Keep smiling buddy.
We know you are a Top Bloke
Les no worries my friend, that interview was a no go for me!! Thanks for catching up & thanks for the kind words!! All the best.
Paul.
I love a winkle sandwich mate, I usually go picking about 3 times a year down here in S.Devon.
John I bet they're nice & clean down in Devon mate!!
Great video! And very useful! One question I have, is, are you able to eat any winkles? Some websites suggest you should only eat one type of winkle..
Thanks in advance for your help!
Interesting video Paul. As you mentioned, they don't look very appetising but going by the way you cooked the second batch, they looked like something I would be prepared to give a try.👍
Chris thanks, yes they are not everyone's cup of tea but I added the second recipe as I knew this would be more appealing to people!
👍
Hugh cheers!
Looks great chief, I was looking for your video on Samphire in Essex and can't find it and I've got no Idea where to find samphire here. Can you put that video up again for us pal
live let liv, I think that may be gone forever, I deleted a lot of stuff because I thought I was going away from UA-cam for good at one point, I obviously had a change of heart & here I am again but some of the old material simply isn't in existence anymore, maybe I could make another video! Thanks for showing interest in the subject & my material, I will try to rectify the situation!!
Looks well nice see your growing the beard again
Stephen thanks, they were very tasty, I must say!!
Paul have another look at (1.41) when you were picking up by the big rock, i swear that is a broken wooden propeller ?? BTW you should seriously consider putting out a Shore fishing Essex cookbook with all your recipes, hints , tips and nature info, I reckon it would do well mate. Keep up the good work and keeping it real buddy.
I'll have a look back when I get time & as for the book there is something in the pipeline but I'm really not the best cook in the world, I'm not even the best cook in my house!! I use recipes that I find online & on UA-cam plus help from my wife & then apply them to what I find on the shore, I have the ideas but lack that cheffy spark needed!!
reminds me of the series cook on the wild side i have always had obsession what can i find in the hedgerow and other seasonal goodies
I liked that. I've done land snails, they were a bit earthy. I imagine these aren't. Can you describe the taste?
Patrick unlike you I haven't tried land snails before so I can't compare them but I can say that winkles have a subtle, pleasantly ocean tasting flavour, uniquely of their own, I was never a massive shellfish connoisseur growing up & when my wife introduced me to the delights of winkles I was pleasantly surprised, thanks.
Paul.
@@shorefishingessex it sounds as if they will be better than land snails, not that land snails are awful. I'll try them. Thanks once again.
@@patrickcavanaghkilmartin I've never even eaten esgargot, I've heard they're nice.
no worries everyone has a bad hair day once in a while lol...being an Italian from NY my grand dad use to simmer them in marinara sauce and serve them as a side for pasta
one very that's a neat idea, I may have to try that in future, thanks & all the best.
Paul.
No idea why you were away dude, but glad that you're back! I guess you had some good reason.... Anyway, here's hoping that you will upload all your old stuff and always waiting for something new. All the best! Don't be bothered about the trolls and haters man, I remember your uploads from before, keep on, that was a good stuff! It is a niche I am glad to see on UA-cam!
Dominik thanks for the kind words I will try to keep the content going!
This is good. Not enough cultures eat their seafood slathered in vinegar. It's under appreciated.
informative my kind of culinary choice
Yummy
I can't understand why I haven't tasted these, they have been under my nose all my life.
Salmon season going slow up here but it will wake up. September is most likely if we have water!
Patrick I should imagine they are a lot cleaner up where you are & as for the salmon, I wonder what I'm doing in September, lol!!
@@shorefishingessex despite feeling dodgy I took a little walk down to the river with my lightest little fly rod and in ten minutes had a feisty little wild brown trout. My first of the year!
@@patchthesinclair5896 well done!!
Am from Liverpool and back in the early 80s wen I was kid my next door neighbour would take my to get Quins arethy the same as winkels
Stanley I must say I haven't heard of Quins, is that a local term for something I wonder? I have a friend on Merseyside, I will have to ask him, thanks, all the best!
Are all winkles ok to eat or is it just dark 1s ????
You forgot the white pepper again with the vinegar!!! 🤣🤣🙄
Also I'll give you a little idea from a chef so 10 winkles or so wrap in a little filo pastry and deep fry serve with lemon and garlic mayo 😋😋😉
Doh!! The bloody white pepper, my wife went out & bought some especially for the seafood!! I must remember in future & thanks for that little idea Gavin, I must give that a try!
Hi where is exactly is this shore? Thank you
It's the Crouch Estuary in Essex.
Any idea if you could ever get a prawning video out?
Maybe later in the year? I'll work on it, thanks!
Winkles are really popular up here on the North East coast, you have to search to find any. We do seem to have a lot of dog whelks, I'm told you can eat those and they have a liver like taste.
Hi Fran, I wonder why winkles are hard to find up your way? We don't get dog whelks in Essex but I would love to try them!
@@shorefishingessex I googled dog whelks, they eat other shellfish so I may have discovered inadvertently why we have so few shellfish? That and collecting and eating mussels and winkles is very popular up here.
@@franrowe8696 interesting to know, thanks!!
I like the look of the second recipe you did. Take the emphasis away from the snails, and make it more about the other ingredients. I’ve ate a few sea snails in my time, and I’m not too much of a fan! 😆 🐌
Cheers Peter, I knew they wouldn't be universally popular, I used that mix in a previous video & thought I could apply it to this too!
Erm .... Dunno what to say to this tbh lol. You just deep fry everything in the same batter? Then add salad?
My Nan reckoned vinegar And pepper. I did not fancy them as a kid and I still don't.
Mike I know they're not everyone's cup of tea!!
hi mate get yourself up to point clear get loads of winkles and oysters by the bucket load
Thanks, my wife keeps telling me that's where she used to gather shellfish with her father when she was a kid!
@@shorefishingessex I took my daughter Sunday got plenty of winkles and oysters they was lovely the mrs done a stir fry 😋 most fresh iv ever had .if you go best place is where th steps are on the way just passed Tony's fresh fish stall on the green free to park to I fish off there catch bass ,dogs ,skate from them steps be great to see you down there
you forgot the pepper man.
iv eaten winkles since i was a kid , im 55 now ,shame they look like boggies
A zillion years ago when I was a kid, my cousins and I called them boogers much to the chagrin of my granny. But we had fun! Oi, want a booger sandwich?
fishy 0000 lol, like something you've coughed up!! We used to call them "Docker's Omelette's"
Too much poncing about. I am a Southender, so worked for years in a cockle stall,, so have some experience. Nice to eat them one by one, but if you can resist it, a winkle sandwich.