OK, new list off to the right - a list of recipes. Some I will have tried, and some I just want to save for later. I will note the difference. Eventually, I will need a set up, like, a real web site for all this stuff. But this will suffice for now. The photo, by the by, is Matt and Theresa making sandwiches for the local homeless shelter in Woodbridge, Virginia. Lot's o' sandwiches.
I found this recipe online, at Recipes Wiki. About the only periwinkle recipe out there, actually.
More to the point, though, is where I found the periwinkles. They were at a Chinese grocery store in Kansas City. One package (a pound, more or less) equals about 2 cups worth, once they are chopped up for the chowder. On this one, I followed the recipe pretty closely, as it was new territory for me. I did add a second potato and went a bit more on the broth, creme, milk, and spices, mainly because I was stretching the dish out for more than six diners (and the periwinkles ended up being about 2 cups, vs. 1 1/2 cups called for in the original recipe. Unlike the original recipe, I bought my periwinkles already deshelled, so the whole "salt water/boiling" issue wasn't a problem. However, knowing that this type of seafood will get hard if over boiled, I waited until the bacon, onions, and celery were already well sautéed and soft before adding in the chopped periwinkle - the last five minutes or so. After that periwinkles and the sautéed ingredients started to simmer/light boil and produce a liquid, I added them to the potato-laden broth. I let the combined mixture simmer on a very low temp for another ten minutes of so (not too much, so as not to toughen up the periwinkle meat). All in all, it got great reviews, and was wolfed down faster than expected. One taste-tester said it needed more salt, which was probably a fair comment. Of course, I didn't tell them that periwinkle was actually a type of snail until after all was said and done. Cook's discretion, of course.
And, oh - I didn't have any pure cayenne readily available. I used Old Bay Seasoning instead.
More to the point, though, is where I found the periwinkles. They were at a Chinese grocery store in Kansas City. One package (a pound, more or less) equals about 2 cups worth, once they are chopped up for the chowder. On this one, I followed the recipe pretty closely, as it was new territory for me. I did add a second potato and went a bit more on the broth, creme, milk, and spices, mainly because I was stretching the dish out for more than six diners (and the periwinkles ended up being about 2 cups, vs. 1 1/2 cups called for in the original recipe. Unlike the original recipe, I bought my periwinkles already deshelled, so the whole "salt water/boiling" issue wasn't a problem. However, knowing that this type of seafood will get hard if over boiled, I waited until the bacon, onions, and celery were already well sautéed and soft before adding in the chopped periwinkle - the last five minutes or so. After that periwinkles and the sautéed ingredients started to simmer/light boil and produce a liquid, I added them to the potato-laden broth. I let the combined mixture simmer on a very low temp for another ten minutes of so (not too much, so as not to toughen up the periwinkle meat). All in all, it got great reviews, and was wolfed down faster than expected. One taste-tester said it needed more salt, which was probably a fair comment. Of course, I didn't tell them that periwinkle was actually a type of snail until after all was said and done. Cook's discretion, of course.
And, oh - I didn't have any pure cayenne readily available. I used Old Bay Seasoning instead.
Texas Periwinkle Soup
Description
Texas Periwinkle Soup is similar in taste to clam chowder and the recipe may be individualized to suit personal tastes. It is from Jamaica Beach, Texas, United States.
Ingredients
- 1 C chicken stock
- 2 potatoes, diced
- 1/2 tsp. tarragon
- 1 tsp. paprika
- salt & pepper
- 2 onions, chopped
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 3 slices bacon, chopped
- 1/2 C dry white wine
- 1 C milk
- 1/4 C butter
- 1 1/2 C cleaned Periwinkles
- 1/2 C light cream
- pinch cayenne pepper
In a large soup pot, heat chicken stock, potatoes, tarragon, paprika, salt & pepper. Melt butter in a skillet, and lightly sauté the cleaned Periwinkle meat (see below), onion, celery, and bacon.
Add to stock mixture. Stir in wine and simmer until potatoes are cooked. Do not boil. Add milk and cream slowly, stirring constantly; do not boil or it will curdle. Add cayenne.
To clean Periwinkles: take a sauce pan full of water and throw in a small amount of salt. Bring to a boil and toss in the snails. Let them simmer for a few minutes, remove and use a toothpick to pull the meat from the shells. The salt water serves to both shrink and toughen the meat, making it easier to remove. Don’t boil them too long or you will end up with a very tough and chewy meal.
No comments:
Post a Comment