Isle of Skye Langoustines with Butter

Name: Isle of Skye Langoustines with Butter
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Scottish
Ingredients: 1.2 kg fresh langoustines; 75 g Fine sea salt; 150 g salted scottish butter; 3 cloves Garlic cloves; 15 g fresh flat-leaf parsley; 10 g Fresh chives; 1 whole Lemon; 0.5 tsp Black pepper; 1 loaf crusty white bread

Sweet, freshly caught Isle of Skye langoustines simmered briefly and served hot with rich melted garlic-herb butter and crusty bread.

🇬🇧United Kingdom· Hebrides and the Western Isles

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 10 min
Total: 25 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 460 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 9 gathered

Servings

1¼ kg fresh langoustines — whole, live or very freshly landed
75 g Fine sea salt — for the boiling water
150 g salted scottish butter — diced
3 cloves Garlic cloves — finely minced
15 g fresh flat-leaf parsley — finely chopped
10 g Fresh chives — finely snipped
1 whole Lemon — halved for juice and wedges
½ tsp Black pepper — freshly cracked
1 loaf crusty white bread — thickly sliced, to serve

Equipment

•Large stockpot
•Slotted spoon
•Small saucepan
•Chef's knife
•Nutcracker or seafood crackers

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 460 kcal
fat: 24 g
carbs: 26 g
fibre: 2 g
protein: 34 g
calories: 460 kcal

Instructions

1
Fill a large stockpot with 4 litres of water, add 75 g sea salt, and bring to a rapid rolling boil.
2
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over gentle heat on the hob.
3
Add the minced garlic to the butter and cook for 1 minute until fragrant without browning.
4
Stir the chopped parsley, snipped chives, a squeeze of lemon juice, and black pepper into the melted butter.
5
Keep the garlic herb butter warm on the lowest heat setting.
6
Lower the langoustines carefully into the boiling water, working in two batches if the pot is crowded.
7
Boil the langoustines for 2 to 3 minutes until the shells turn vivid orange-pink and the flesh is opaque.
8
Lift the langoustines immediately from the pot using a slotted spoon and drain well.
9
Arrange the hot langoustines on a warm serving platter alongside the melted herb butter and lemon wedges.
10
Serve immediately with thick slices of crusty bread to catch the savoury juices.

Chef's tips

Do not overcook the langoustines; boiling beyond 3 minutes will make the delicate meat soft and watery. Ensure the cooking water is heavily salted so it resembles seawater, which preserves the shellfish flavour.

Ingredient substitutions

fresh langoustines → frozen whole raw langoustines (thawed completely) or large raw shell-on king prawns
salted Scottish butter → unsalted butter with an extra pinch of sea salt flakes

Storage

Cooked langoustines are best eaten straight away, but any chilled leftovers should be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 day.

Reheating

Do not re-boil langoustines as they will toughen; eat cold or gently warm the picked meat in melted butter for 30 seconds.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Boiling the shellfish for too long, which ruins their firm, sweet texture.
•Under-salting the cooking water, leading to a bland taste.
•Letting the garlic brown in the butter, which imparts a bitter flavour.

Serving suggestions

Serve on a communal platter with finger bowls of warm lemon water and plenty of napkins.Pair with a chilled dry white wine or a crisp Scottish coastal ale.Offer seafood crackers and picks to help extract meat from the claws.