Single Shells

Appears in

Published 1980

About

The single shells belong to the Order Gastropoda, in which there is a great variety of forms. Few of these need be considered here, since the Order is not rich in gastronomic interest. The creatures listed are, however, all eaten and most of them are quite good if properly selected and prepared.

I acknowledge that at least one in the list, the limpet, is not normally thought of as a delicacy. But it presents a stimulating challenge to the cook, and some of the ways in which it has traditionally been prepared in Britain and France are of interest. The traditions are very old. Visiting the beautifully kept Stone Age settlement at Skara Brae in Orkney, I was surprised to hear how important limpets had been in the diet of the inhabitants. Their middens still provide mute evidence of countless meals in which limpets must have been a main ingredient.