Sunday 6 May 2012

Whelks.



I Love Whelks. Yes, I know they're rubbery, and look like your worst nightmare, but they are delicious.

The ones above were bought ready cooked, but they are also readily available here live. I once made the mistake of buying live Whelks, thinking they were cooked; not so difficult, as they look much the same. They were a bugger to get out of their shells, were unbelievably chewy, and they didn't really have the flavour I'd expected. I munched my way through several, probably screaming, Whelks before I realised my mistake. Oh how we laughed!!!

Nowadays I always make sure they're ready cooked.


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16 comments:

  1. I'm thinking that perhaps you should name one of them "Lawrence"....

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  2. I admire your culinary adaptability! At least whelks have the good grace to live in a shell - with most other seafood if you saw it wobbling across your living room floor you'd probably be inclined to hit it with a rolled-up newspaper rather than eat it.

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    Replies
    1. I eat everything, other than Bread-n-Butter Pudding.

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  3. I love a good whelk (does that sound rude) do you live near the coast? I should like to know what whelk is in French does it make them sound better than they look?

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    1. Bulot... not much better. And Boulot (which sounds the same) is slang-ish for 'work' (as in job).

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  4. I have never tasted a whelks, cooked or otherwise. Not so sure I would want to, but they do have lovely shells.

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  5. My father - being an old East Ender - would often treat himself to a plate of winkles (at least that's what he called them) and sit there pulling them out with a pin whilst us kids looked on in horror. I learnt to like oysters, though - just so long as they keep still just before I eat them.

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  6. I have never tried them, but I love mussels and winkles, so I would like to sample them. Are they eeaten warm? I wouldnt fancy them so much cold. Are these the things you see in tubs of jelly?

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    1. That sounds more like jellied eels; another of my favourites. Whelks are usually eaten cold, with vinegar and freshly ground pepper. Rick Stein has one or two recipes for cooking with them.

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  7. Am now wondering if you eat other animals whilst they're still alive. (Jellied eels. Omigawd, Cro.)

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  8. If I were a mermaid I would eat that. But I'm not.

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  9. If i recall correctly, you can't abide 'that anathema, peanut butter' of which Lady M was so fond (and may still be).

    I've never had whelks. I've had escargots which i'm sure are similar, and when i was in college, i ate what we called periwinkles which are probably very much like winkles. We were hungry and had no money. Not a fan, i must say, although i've enjoyed mussels from time to time.

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    Replies
    1. Peanut Butter AND JELLY Megan. Peanut butter or jelly by themselves; OK. Together NASTY.

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  10. Down under they smoke their eels rather than jelly them.

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  11. More good advice from you, Cro. Make sure they have been cooked...

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  12. They sure do look nice on that wonderful red plate...

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