A PLATE OF IRISH SHELLFISH

Where shellfish are concerned, Ireland has always had an embarrassment of riches which we have taken for granted, indeed undervalued, for centuries. At Ballymaloe House this selection of delicious Irish shellfish delights guests from all over the world, and is not difficult to prepare. Note that roghans and palourdes are types of clam. Serves 6 as a substantial starter.

ALL OR MOST OF THESE:

• 6 sea urchins (Paracentrotus lividus)

What results in the glass is a beguiling aroma of crushed oyster shells, green apple, wet stones, lime zest, and subtle smoke. The palate is tense and mineral with blasts of lemon and under ripe apricot. As one friend remarked, however, you don’t even have to drink this wine. To smell it is enough. I totally agree with that, but it is also just the thing to match the interplay of salty, briny, and luxuriousness that

• 18 Dublin Bay prawns (Nephrops norvegicus) or 24 shrimps (Palaemon serratus)

• periwinkles (Littorina litterea)

• 18 mussels (Mytilus edulis)

• 12 palourdes (Venerupis pullastra)

• 18 roghans (Venus verrucosa)

• 18 cockles (Cerastoderma edule)

• 6 native Irish oysters (Ostrea edulis)

Garnish

• homemade mayonnaise

• 6 lemon segments

• sprigs of wild watercress or fennel

• seaweed (optional)

Cook the sea urchins in boiling salted water (allow 1 tablespoon salt to 1.1 litres/2 pints water) for 4–5 minutes. Remove and allow to get cold.

Next cook the prawns. Bring the water to the boil and add the salt. Remove the heads of the prawns and, with the underside of the prawn uppermost, tug the little fan-shaped tail at either side and carefully draw out the trail. (The trail in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cover with a folded tea towel or a lid and put the pan on a low heat for a few minutes. Remove the shellfish as soon as they open (if any refuse to open, discard them). Keep the liquid which will exude from the shellfish as they open: it’s wonderful for fish soup or a sauce to be served with shellfish. is the intestine, so it is very important to remove it before cooking regardless of whether the prawns are to be shelled or not.)

Remove the beards from the mussels and discard one shell; loosen the mussel from the remaining shell so that the guests won’t have to tussle with their fork. Remove the outer round and ‘exhaust pipes’ (siphons) from the palourdes and roghans and discard one shell. Nothing needs to be removed from the cockles, but discard one shell also.

When the sea urchins are cold, scrape the prickles off the top with a spoon or brush, then tap the centre with the bowl of a teaspoon; the shell usually cracks like an egg, so the centre can be lifted out. Be careful not to lose any of the precious juices and make sure to remove any splinters of shell from the centre.

Put the prawns into the boiling salted water and as soon as the water returns to the boil, test a prawn to see if it is cooked. When it is, remove the prawns immediately. Very large ones may take 30 seconds to 1 minute more. Allow the prawns to cool in a single layer and then remove the shells. Do not cook too many prawns together, or they may overcook before the water even comes back to the boil.

COOK THE PERIWINKLES.

If the shrimps are live, cook them in boiling salted water also for 2–3 minutes, or until the shells have changed colour from grey to bright orangey pink. If there is any trace of black on the heads, cook them for a little longer. Drain and allow to cool in a single layer.

Wash the mussels, palourdes, roghans and cockles and check that all the shells are tightly closed. They can then all be opened in the same manner. Spread the shells in a single layer

It will be necessary to provide a teaspoon for eating the sea urchins and a fingerbowl should also be provided if the guests are to peel the shrimps or prawns themselves.

Not long before serving, open the oysters. Arrange the shellfish on a large white plate. Place a tiny bowl of homemade mayonnaise in the centre and garnish with the lemon segments and herbs.

This year, VIP joined forces with Salon deZEN to bring local women the ultimate Galentine's Day event! Guests enjoyed libations by Lost Boy Cider, pastries by Duck Donuts, pink-a-book hair extensions by Salon deZEN, a size-inclusive fashion boutiqeu pop-up by Wild Gardenia Boutique, body piercings by Creative Chaos Body Care and more! More than 100 local women stopped by the vevent, which served as a fundraiser for the American Heart Association.