Samphire Sets Your Taste Buds Tingling

OK after this blog I promise to stop twittering on about seafood recipes - for a little while at any rate!. However last year I discovered a wonderful new taste - the salty, zingy taste of samphire – let me explain.

In Penrith, Cumbria there is an excellent fish, seafood and game shop called The Fish Cellar. Many times during the summer and autumn periods when buying fish and seafood I noticed a large bowl of what looked like fine, green asparagus. One day my curiosity got the better of me and I asked Neil the owner what it was. ‘Samphire – do you want to try some?’ Well I did and am now ‘hooked’ on the stuff. It is usually available in our fish shop from July through to October, some coming from France, some from Mediterranean countries.

Marsh samphire (or salicornia europaea to give it its proper name) is also known as glasswort or pickle-plant and is a fleshy-leaved green plant that grows on seaside marshes. As I mentioned it has a sea-salty flavour and a crisp, interesting texture. Neil informed me that all that is needed to cook samphire is to place it in a colander and pour a kettle of boiling water over it, shake and add a dollop of butter. There are lots of interesting recipes, my favourite involved monkfish and Parma ham. However, I thought that you may like to try my second favourite recipe: Shrimp & Samphire Risotto – its scrumpcious! The recipe if from Rick’s Stein’s ‘Seafood Lovers Guide’.
It needs a little bit of preparation but is so tasty and filling – try it!