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Lapas grelhadas
Grilled limpets with garlic butter
Lapas grelhadas: Madeira and Azores limpets sizzled in their shells with garlic butter and lemon
Along the rocky shores of Madeira and the Azores, limpets are prised off the rocks at low tide and grilled within hours, arriving at the table in a hot cast-iron dish, still bubbling with garlic butter. Beach bars in Porto Moniz and on Pico serve them as a starter, with bread for dipping and a squeeze of lemon. They are best when only just cooked, tender with a slight chew. Chef's tip: buy them from a fishmonger who sells them live, still clamped tightly to their shells.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ lb fresh live limpetsabout 50
- 2 ⅞ oz buttersoftened
- 4 garlic clovesvery finely chopped
- 1 lemonhalf juiced, half in wedges
- 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsleyfinely chopped
- 1 tsp pimenta da terra or chilli flakes (optional)
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (3)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Check 2 ¼ lb fresh live limpets one by one. Discard any with cracked shells, any that smell unpleasant, and any whose flesh doesn't pull back or tighten when you prod it: those are dead. Rinse the rest under cold water and scrub off any grit.
Step 2: Mash 2 ⅞ oz butter with 4 garlic cloves, 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, the juice of half of 1 lemon and 1 tsp pimenta da terra or chilli flakes if using.
Step 3: Heat the grill to its highest setting, or heat a cast-iron pan on the hob until very hot. Lay the limpets flesh side up in a single layer and put a small knob of the garlic butter in each.
5 minStep 4: Grill for 3–4 minutes, until the butter bubbles and the flesh turns firm and opaque and just starts to pull away from the shell. A common mistake is cooking them longer: limpets go from tender to rubbery very quickly. Discard any that smell bad after cooking.
4 minStep 5: Serve at once in the hot pan with the lemon wedges and bread, loosening each limpet with a small fork.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 210 kcal
- Protein
- 18 g
- Carbs
- 3 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does lapas grelhadas take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 5 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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