The market · Fish and seafood · Northern and Central Europe, France and the north-west, Southern Europe
Langoustines
Dublin Bay prawn, Norway lobster, cigala, scampi: a slim, pale orange crustacean with the sweetest, most delicate tail meat of any — and the quickest to ruin.
sweet · delicate · briny
Goes with
Knowing it
- Where to buy
- Alive if you can, or very fresh on ice: glossy, intact, with no blackening at the head. Scottish creel-caught are the best; much of the catch goes to Spain and France.
- Worth knowing
- Cook them in under a minute — split and grilled shell side down, or into boiling salted water for 45–60 seconds for medium ones. Or peel the raw tails and poach them in butter at 50–55°C. Roast the heads and shells for a bisque or sauce.
