There were thousands of those, nudged against the rocks, either alone or in cluster; I showed them to Anne-Sophie, French and residing in Montreal, who was here on vacation and she exclaimed ” bigorneau”; apparently the French love them and eat them like mussels or clams. (They love them in the Philippines as well).
I left the group sunbathing or reading or playing endless games of sudoku on the beach and got busy collecting a few dozens to cook at home later that day.
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 pounds of winkles or clams
- one tablespoon of coarse sea salt
- a jigger of white wine (can substitute other seafood stock or water)
- a few sprigs of parsley
- a bay leaf
- a few pink peppercorns
- a dash of paprika, a couple of cloves of garlic
- one onion, quartered
- a stem of lemongrass, cut in 2-inch bits
- toast and butter or plain rice or pasta
METHOD:
- Clean the winkles in several changes of water; if possible soak them in water for a couple of hours, drain and rinse them and repeat the operation until the water is perfectly clean of debris.
- Drain the winkles and place in a large pot. Add about a quart of water, a cup of wine (optional), a few sprigs of parsley and all the other seasonings if available. Bring the water to a boil and count four minutes of boiling time. Remove from the heat and let them cool in the broth.
- Eat with a special fork or remove with a toothpick; can eat them with some buttered toast or plain rice.
33 Comments
Interesting … I will look for these here Joumana thanks for sharing!
An interesting shell…
Cheers,
Rosa
What fun that you could just collect these winkles off the beach to use in a memorable meal that evening!
I love Beirut, you never tire of it’s beauty, and you never tire of it’s food. This is a perfect seafood dish to make when friends come over after a laid back sunbathing. Serve it with a bottle of arac, is just perfect for outdoor gathering, and It will make everybody’s mouth tingle. Joumana, thank you for the amazing pictures. Tyre also has unbelievable beauty, with sandy beaches and sparkling blue waters. The little waves that toss on the shore is very majestic.
I have never seen winkles or periwinkles at our beaches but I want a bowl now. I would even add one more clove of garlic than you!
I must try that recipe out, easy to buy clams here in France at reasonable prices. Diane
Different and nice…
Can there be anything better than harvesting from a beach and cooking it up? The flavors are just perfect… oh how I wish I could visit Lebanon after your cook’s tour!
Thanks Joumana;i just loved your photos and comments.
you should try them with sesame sauce (tarator )and hamod.just boiled and serve with this typical lebanese sauce!
there were so many of themthis week-end in Tyre..amazing!!
@Noha: wish i had asked you first! the tarator and lemon sounds heavenly!
My husband is a big fan. Similar to those we eat here in Greece raw by sqeezing a little lemon juice on them. They all say they are fabulous. I like them your way better, cooked that is.
I used to eat snails that we harvest from the rice paddies. Not sure if I can still eat them now. It’s been a while.
yum i bet it is delicious. I am sure I can replace my clam linguine with wine sauce with Periwinkles. I haven’t seen them here either at the fish market or by the cold waters of California. Cheers,
Heguiberto
Interesting! I can eat anything coming from sea. I’m sure it’s tasty when lemon squeezed on it. Thank you for sharing this with us.
Wow, those are beautiful! How fun to gather up your own food for dinner.
I’ve seen these on the rocks but never eaten them!
The big one one top is actually part of the Murex genera – the shell from which the phoenecians extracted the purple dye. How appropriate for a trip to Tyre!
pleins de jolies choses sur ton blog
bonne journée
val
I had those shells when I was still a kid…that’s ages ago…my mum did a simple poach, then made some garlic-ginger based sauce for it…just delish!
In France, we eat those with Aïoli, too.
Nothing like collecting your own dinner on te shore and cooking it later… true foraging!
V alerie
perfect day at the beach, even better when you can pick your own meal, wonderful dish..
sweetlife
I am not sure if these are similar to the ones we get in Greece or Cyprus, which are eaten raw with lemon juice, but I definitely prefer them cooked,
The winkles have such a lovely shell! What a lovely dish, full of fresh, bright flavors.
Lovely!! Lucky you… you’re still enjoying the sun!!
Dinner can’t get fresher than that!
Joumana how amazing you can find nearly everything you want at Tyre. Simply amazing how beirut is just abundunt with food and fruits, and winkles
Just gorgeous. How long are you staying in Beirut for?
I’ve had them in France, never here though. Fun, Joumana!
What a delicious spectacular time and I had not heard of winkles before. Glad you are enjoying yourself.
Sounds like a wonderful time. I love it that you are getting to eat food that is so fresh
I’ve never tasted winkles.
*kisses* HH
Wow, do they really have those in the Philippines?
Where is it possible to buy live winkles by the internet?
@John: I am sorry I have never bought winkles online. I just pick them up at the shore!