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Whelks with garlic butter
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By Mat Follas
Whelks are hugely underrated in the UK, and sadly we export nearly all of them to Spain, France and the Far East, where they’re considered a delicacy. Be careful not to overcook whelks as they can get tough and chewy. This is a dish for eating with your fingers, as you need to hold the whelks quite firmly in order to prize the meat out – so always serve with a generous supply of napkins.
Ingredients
- 200g butter
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1kg whelks, cleaned
- 200ml white wine
- 1 red onion, peeled and finely diced
- 4 mild red chillies, thinly sliced
- A small bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Method
Put the butter in a small saucepan set over a gentle heat and melt until it just starts to foam. Add the garlic and immediately take off the heat. Add a small pinch of salt to season and set aside.
Put the whelks with the white wine, onion and 200ml of water in a large saucepan set over a medium heat. Cover and bring to a simmer, then continue to simmer for 5 minutes.
Add the chillies, parsley and a generous pinch of salt and black pepper. Toss together to combine.
Spoon the whelks into serving bowls and serve with a side dish of the hot garlic butter, for dipping them into.
Tip: Serve this dish with plenty of napkins to hold the shells and small forks to extricate the whelks from them.