Gastronomiquement Incorrect Sea Creatures

10 And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you:

11 They shall be even an abomination unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh, but ye shall have their carcases in abomination.

12 Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you.

Powerful as these verses may be, luckily their effect has worn off faster in France than in the UK. Seafood is considered to be a great natural bounty, on a par with fish, fruit and mushrooms, to be rejoiced in and feasted upon. The very way it is presented, piled high on fishmongers’ stalls and plateaux de fruits de mer in restaurants, incites you to literally dig in with fingers and teeth.