Dublin Bay Prawn = Langoustines

Tough weekend. I was skirting around a cold and needed Angostura Rum and Orange to give me the vitamin C and interest to see the virus out. A good supply of fish in and limited creativity. After a discussion up at the club it was decided the best fate for fresh, smoked, langoustines was to steam them and serve with a good garlic butter, some bread and a peppery green salad.

With all of the food events on in the area this weekend I popped down in the car to the artisan market and picked up a stunning onion bread from John the baker (sorry, you have to live in the area to understand this guys dedication to dough). Having dropped my wife off at the hairdressers it was off on Jin Chan (my pet 'golden toad' is a black Piaggio MP3 500 Sport ) to the farmers market and the loacal DIY store for nails to make sure the new summer house would survive the approaching Atlantic storm.

After a hard day completing the trunking and wire assembly for the summer house and ensuring storm braces and roof were ready (oh, and for my wife to get her hair just right [now I am in trouble :) ]) We migrated into the summer house for supper and wine.

I had steamed 6 good sized langoustines and served them up with a green salad, a damned fine garlic and green onion butter, some watercress and rocket salad a hunk or two of the stupidly fresh onion bread that would serve us well for the rest of the weekend.

As to the butter, this is so simple. Crush the garlic and a pinch of salt flowers with the back of a good chefs knife and mince to a fine puree. Pop this into a small pan in which you have heated a few drops of groundnut oil and butter (stops it burning). Reduce the heat and add some finely sliced spring onions. Simmer through until the onions are translucent. Add fresh parsley and pepper to taste.

I had provided an extra bowl for the shells. Waste not want not, as they say. As soon as the main course was over then the 'waste' went right back into the fridge ready to be added to a couple of softened and finely chopped shallots, some minced garlic, a few tail ends of asparagus, some fish stock and a date with a blender and a sieve. (Tonight they met their fate and I have a stunning stock ready to be added to cream to either metamorphose into a good bisque or to lift the smoked mussels to new heights.)

More about the haddock, the last two laungoustines and a few veg. later....