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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 16 AUGUST 2015 Food 35 Fine food of the week Langoustine The sweet meat of the langous- tine is neither a prawn nor a lob- ster, though the delicate flavours in my opinion are superior to both cousins. Originally found off the coast of Norway (which is how they acquired their other name, Nor- way lobster) langoustines are a member of the lobster family and are closely related to Dublin Bay prawns and scampi, for which they are often mistaken. These days they are caught along the Atlantic coast, in- cluding Scotland, as well as the western Mediterranean and the Adriatic, though overfishing has meant that they are extremely rare, and even more of a delicacy than previously. Unlike other crustaceans, lang- oustines don't change colour when they are cooked. They have pink, narrow smooth-shelled bodies, with long knobbled claws, and tend not to carry much meat. The shell, head and thorax (the upper torso) can't be eaten, but the tail and the meat in the claws can. As they go off very quickly, most langoustines are cooked and frozen at sea, which means it's quite hard to find live ones. Fresh langoustines need roast- ing or boiling in well-salted water before being pulled from their shells. They can also be served grilled or on the BBQ. They are delicious served with just a squeeze of lemon and a dollop of mayonnaise, garlic butter or aïoli, but can also be added to curry, pasta and paella. Alternatively, deep-fry them in batter, or peel and poach them and make tradi- tional Scampi Provençal. Pre-boiled langoustines should be reheated gently; don't re-cook them or they'll toughen. Alterna- tively, eat pre-boiled langoustines cold in a salad with a vinegar dressing. When buying fresh langous- tines be sure that they are still moving to be sure that they are completely fresh. Until you are ready to cook your langoustines, keep them in a box in the fridge covered with damp newspaper. Use live langoustines as soon as possible after buying them – preferably the same day. Cooked langoustine can be kept in the fridge for up to two days. Langoustines should be cooked live but if you are squeamish about cooking live creatures, freeze them for between one and two hours to render them uncon- scious. Not a prawn, not a lobster Ingredients For the stock • 10-15 langoustines • 1 tsp butter • 2 shallots • 1 clove garlic • ½ fennel • 1 carrot • 1 parsley root • 2thinstalksofcelery • 100ml dry white wine • ½ tsp coriander seeds • 1 small bay leaf • Fish stock or water For the soup • ½ cup water • 1 shallot • 1 small potato • ½ fennel • ½ tsp tomato puree • 2 pinches of saffron • 1 twig tarragon • 70-90ml cream • 1 tbsp cognac • Salt and pepper • Method 1. Remove the heads of the langous- tines, then peel the tails and devein. Be careful during this process be- cause the peel of the langoustines is a lot harder than the peel of prawns. 2. Saute heads and peel in butter until they become pale. 3. Add diced vegetables, bay leaf and coriander seeds and saute for a few more mins. 4. Add white wine and cook until re- duced. 5. Pour stock or water over it, just enough so that it is covered, and cook for 10-15 mins and sieve. 6. Sautee chopped onion, potato and fennel in butter, add half of the tails that you have set aside, then add the prepared stock and cook for 10-15 mins. 7. Now puree and add cream and cook for another 5 mins, season with salt and pepper. 8. Remove from the heat, add tarragon and let it stand for 5 mins. Then re- move tarragon and season and add the cognac. 9. Serve with the rest of the leftover tails that are fried in butter and flam- bee with cognac if desired. Recipe of the week Langoustine bisque Langoustines are best served roasted, boiled, grilled or BBQed but are also fantastic in pasta, salads and paellas