Langoustine Roll

 One of the most delicious surprises in the national resources of Scotland is the lovely langoustine.  The nephrops norvegicus is member of the lobster family but are only 8-10 centimeters (or 3 to 6 inches) in length and are also known as Norway lobster, scampi and sometimes even Dublin Bay prawns, which is very confusing as prawns usually mean teeny briny shrimp.  Anyhoo, they are delicious have a taste and texture just like lobster but a touch more salty (and richer if you can believe it) than larger New England version.

The Lovely Langoustine

When I was in the states a few months ago I had the sublime pleasure of having a Classic Maine Lobster Roll from Jasper White’s Summer Shack.  For those not familiar with the Big Daddy of all things lobster in Boston (and that’s saying something) he is a highly acclaimed chef who rose to prominence running the top hotel restaurants in Boston and later his own super-lush seafood mecca Jasper’s.  I first came across his fabulousness when he made a dramatic career turn and closed his super fancy kitchens  to open the Summer Shack restaurant in the old Aku-Aku restaurant in Cambridge, in whose parking lot I once bought a van off a supposed relative of Click & Clack of Car Talk fame for $300 cash.  Jasper’s  new vision was to recreate the casual beach shack experience of his youth using the highest quality ingredients – and boy did he succeed.  Even though his lobster rolls cost $18 they are worth every penny.  After an eight year hiatus I really, really enjoyed my lobster roll.  I also knew that I had to have this more often than once every eight years, and so began my new-found obsession with my local langoustines.

Perfect picnic fare - Langoustine Rolls

I have hunted down and made langoustines from my fish man who brings his van to my door every thursday, the fantabulous fishmongers H.S. Murray in Inverkeithing and I have to report (more than a little sadly) that so far the best bang for my buck has come from  the Tesco frozen version.  The good news is that are consistently available,  a decent price and can even be ordered by online shopping so you can keep them on hand for when the need for a little luxury strikes.  I think that Trader Joe’s carry them in the States.

Tesco Finest £4

These really need to be cooked from frozen, so way before you turn the oven on, I would strongly encourage you to make this divine mayo that Jasper himself uses on his lobster rolls.  Of course you could just use a little bit of plain mayonnaise but this is one of those strange things that is so much more than the sum of its parts – go ahead and give it a try.  It is also totally fab on chicken, potatoes and particularly deadly on a ham sandwich.

(Almost) Jasper’s Lobster Mayonnaise

1 cup Hellman’s light mayo

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 big dash of Tabasco Sauce

1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon

– Mix ingredients together, cover and refrigerated at least 1 hour before serving.  Will keep for 3 days in the fridge.

 The lovelies are super easy to cook, just preheat the grill/broiler to high and whack them in the oven for about 5 minutes.  (Note:  I have quite a few Pampered Chef folk in my life so don’t be surprised to see an awful lot of their loot in these posts – I am a very easy target.)

250g (1/4 lb) frozen yields about 150g (1 cup) meat - enough for two small rolls

Not only is cooking these in the oven quick and easy I think roasting them in their shells versus boiling them adds additional flavour, and  I have even taken to cooking tiger prawns/shrimp the same way.  After they cool, remove the meat from the shells and roughly chop.  I tend to save the shells in the freezer for making  yummy stock but if you are going to discard then – please put then in a small airtight plastic bag and maybe even put them straight into the outside bin/trash.  They can really stink if left in a regular bin overnight – bletch.

Mix a small amount of Jasper’s mayo into the cooled meat.  I also like to jazz things up by adding diced celery for crunch and even peeled diced cucumber.  You can also just be a purist and leave the mix unmolested.  Toast a small finger roll, brioche or a hot dog bun, butter generously and pop the langoustines into their cozy new home with just a simple lettuce blanket and a maybe a few minced chives for garnish.  Devour with great enjoyment.

And just to go totally crazy, I opted for my new favourite vice – Haggis crisps (potato chips)!  They are really good and scratch the itch I get when I crave Old Bay Seasoning chips.  A differently flavour but the spiciness compliments the sweet strawberries and the elegantly rich langoustines.  Who knew?

 HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!