Hot shellfish with wild garlic butter
Langoustines, mussels, scallops and oysters are steamed in cider then roasted in a savoury garlic butter.
Ingredients
For the shellfish
For the wild garlic butter
- 125g/4½oz unsalted butter, softened
- 25g/1oz wild garlic, thinly sliced
- ½ tbsp yeast extract, such as Marmite
- ½ tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp cider vinegar
Method
To make the shellfish, place the langoustines in a large saucepan of salted boiling water and cook until heated through. Drain and keep warm.
Discard any mussels with broken shells and any that refuse to close when tapped. Place the mussels in a large saucepan with a splash of the cider over a high heat. Cover with a lid and steam for 3–4 minutes until they have opened. Discard any mussels that remain closed. Remove with a perforated spoon and keep warm.
Do the same with the scallops in shell and finally the oysters, cooking them in the same pan, one after the other, and keeping them warm alongside the other shellfish as each lot are done with the cider The oysters will take the longest to cook and will not open fully; you will need to lever them open with a short, thick-bladed knife or oyster knife.
To make the butter, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, reserving some of the wild garlic for the garnish. Roll the butter into a cylinder and slice into rounds.
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
Place all of the shellfish in a roasting tin, sit the butter rounds on top and place the tin in the oven. Cook for 2–3 minutes until the butter has melted.
Divide the shellfish between four warmed large plates or a large serving dish.
Garnish with the wild garlic and serve with plenty of crusty bread.
