Griddled langoustines

Griddled langoustines

Serves 2

Have you ever pricked yourself trying to peel a langoustine? The tough and sharp carapace can inflict a real wound. But here's an ingenious solution, embedded in a simple recipe in Elizabeth David's lovely book, Italian Food.

Ingredients

• Langoustines
• Olive oil
• Salt

Method

1. After thawing the langoustines, wash, pat dry, then rub their shells with olive oil and salt. Position them carefully top side uppermost, in a large heavy frying pan over a medium heat.
2. Watch them carefully, turning upside down after a few minutes, then back upside up again after a further few minutes. Brush a little more oil onto them. 
3. After 10 minutes, remove from pan, line up neatly bottom side down and flatten gently with a rolling pin. Is this ingenious or is this ingenious?
4. Return to pan for two more minutes cooking on each side.
5. Remove and serve. The shells peel away like wrapping paper.