Grilled Langoustines with Garlic, Parsley & Lemon Butter

⏱ 25 min · Serves 4

Sweet, briny langoustines split down the middle, slathered in a punchy garlic-parsley butter and flashed under the grill until bubbling and golden. It's a ten-minute showpiece — all you need alongside is crusty bread to mop the shells clean and a cold glass of something white.

Per serving: 428 kcal · 34.0g protein · 2.0g carbs · 32.0g fat

Ingredients

• 16 raw langoustines (about 1.2kg), shell-on
• 150g unsalted butter, softened
• 4 fat garlic cloves, finely grated
• 25g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• Zest of 1 lemon, plus wedges to serve
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp flaky sea salt
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Crusty sourdough, to serve

Method

1. Mash the softened butter with the garlic, parsley, lemon zest and juice, flaky salt, cayenne and a good grind of black pepper until completely combined. Set aside at room temperature.
2. If the langoustines are alive, chill them in the freezer for 20 minutes to sedate them first.
3. Lay each langoustine on its back and, with a heavy sharp knife, split it lengthways from head to tail. Flick out the dark intestinal thread and the small grit sac behind the eyes.
4. Arrange the halves cut-side up, snugly, on a large baking tray. Brush the flesh lightly with olive oil.
5. Heat the grill to its highest setting and let it get properly hot for 5 minutes.
6. Spoon the garlic butter generously over the exposed flesh of each langoustine, pushing a little into the head cavities.
7. Grill 8–10cm from the element for 3–4 minutes, until the flesh has turned opaque white and the butter is bubbling and just starting to catch at the edges. Don't overcook — they go woolly fast.
8. Slide onto a warm platter, pour over every last drop of butter from the tray, and serve at once with lemon wedges and plenty of bread.