Elsewhere in this blog I might have already waxed lyrically about a dish I ate many years ago. It was in Almafi or Positano in Italy, I can never remember which! Picture this: The restaurant, on stilts, jutting into the sea – you could see the sea beneath your feet through the wooden floorboards. It was a hot day, and we had traveled there using the local bus, the type you see in films like Cinema Paradiso, Life is Beautiful.
I decided to have pasta with clams, mussels, razor clams, baby squid etc. to this day I can close my eyes and smell and taste that dish. It was the first time for me – first times are usually special!!
The reason I have called this Selfish, Shellfish is because I adore ALL crustacean . Sheila is more selective – mussels, prawns, oysters, crab, lobster, langoustine. It was a particular bad experience in La Rochelle, that meant for a long time she would not venture anywhere near a mussel. I did try, but, despite my protestations she insisted on sampling the La Mouclad, this is where the mussels are served already opened in a light curry sauce. (as a consequence you cannot identify a good mussel from a closed or cracked mussels) Fortunately things are now a lot different, indeed she is the one who cooks
MOULESMARINIÉRES, and with her secret ingredient, It is a sublime experience. S.
She is not though a fan at all of whelks, clams, and, all the other gorgeous shellfish delights. 
Therefore on the rare occasions that I am alone (Sheila really must visit the UK more often) I invariably have a feast of these creatures. Pasta a la vongole (clams in a tomato sauce), and Bulot (whelks) with a little mayonnaise – and of course a cold bottle of crisp white wine. On one occasion my enthusiasm did get the better of me …………….. I sat down to eat a dozen Bulots, salivating in anticipation ………… I took the first one and stuck in the pin to pull the creature out …………. The little blighter did seem a mite reluctant and very chewy ………… I didn’t give in and dived in for the second one ………… again another reluctant morsel – then it dawned on me!! I had not bought cooked ones but they were alive! Now if you Google shellfish, whelks are one of the few you should never eat uncooked!! I went to the internet for advice and one website instructed me to go to A&E without delay!
All’s well that end well as they say. And even I?? can live and learn, in this instance anyway …………and live to tell the tale.
Leave a Comment