In France, periwinkles are known as bigorneau. The fact that they’re not native to Long Island Sound didn’t prevent French chef Jacques Pépin from serving them at his seaside home in Connecticut. When I rang him up, he told me that he just collected some periwinkles along the shore with his brother. He served the invaders with chilled white wine at his home that weekend.
Serves 4 to 6
3 cups periwinkles
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco
1/4 cup dry white wine
In a large bowl of cold water, wash and rub together approximately three cups of periwinkles, each about one inch in diameter. Lift the periwinkles from the water and put them in a medium saucepan, preferably stainless steel.
Add the olive oil, Tabasco, and wine to the periwinkles and bring to a hard boil. Cover and boil for 2 to 3 minutes, removing the lid and stirring them once or twice while they cook. Transfer to a bowl, let cool to warm, and enjoy.
Straight pins can be used to remove the snails from their shells. (Pépin notes: “At our house, we stick several pins into a wine cork and pull them out as needed at the table.”) The operculum should be removed before sticking a pin into the shell opening and extracting the flavorful meat.
Serve with an apéritif; Jacques Pépin prefers Campari and soda, or white wine.
