Technique: How to Prep Langoustine
How to Peel Langoustine
Want to extract the body from a raw langoustine? These crustaceans are not so easy to peel as their softer prawn-like cousins. Here’s how:
Method 1: Crack and Peel
If you read my ramblings about my first day in a professional kitchen (and I thank you if you did) then you’ll already know about the Crack and Peel method. It’s not as fast as the Snap and Slide method, but it is easier.
Here’s how
Twist the head off and pull the intestinal tract out.
Lay the langoustine on its side.
Place your hands over the top.
Apply pressure with your hands until shell cracks.
Peel the shell.
Keep in Mind
As you twist the head aim to pull the intestinal tract out with the head.
When you crack the shell don’t be too heavy handed or you will mush the langoustine.
Save the heads and claws to make a shellfish stock.
Method 2: Snap and Slide
This second method is faster. It might take a few sacrifices to work it out, but you can always eat the evidence.
Here’s how
Hold the langoustine in your finger tips.
Snap the shell on both sides by bending it to both sides.
Turn the langoustine over.
Place your thumb on the tail (to trap the end of the intestinal tract.)
Push the body upwards with your thumb.
As you do, use your other hand to gently pull the body away.
The intestinal tract will come away with the tail.
Slide the rest of the body out of the remaining shell.
Keep in Mind
Take a look at the back of the langoustine body and you’ll see the shell is made up of six parts. Hold the first three parts in one hand, and the other three parts in the other hand.
You really don’t need much strength to snap the shell - just a sharp but gentle bend one way, then the other. This breaks the anchor making the rest of your work easy.
Once you’ve done the thumb on the tail bit, you can simply slide the rest of the body out from the shell by poking a finger from the head end down.
Save the heads and claws to make a shellfish stock.
How to Split a Langoustine
Another way to prep langoustine is to split them, lengthways into two halves. Once split simply baste with deliciousness and grill them for a few minutes.
Here’s how
Place tip of knife just below head and at start of body.
Slice down towards the tail
Turn the langoustine 180 degrees
Place tip of knife again just below head
Slice down towards the head.
The langoustine should now be in two halves
Remove the stomach sac and intestinal tract.
Keep in Mind
When you slice towards the head, do so firmly in one fluid movement. You can use your other hand to add pressure so you cut cleanly through the head.
You’ll find stomach sac (strangely) quite close to the head. There’s sometimes grit around it. You don’t want to eat this, so pull it out. Check both halves
Same goes for the intestinal tract. You’ll find it running down the body part, a small vein, sometimes empty, sometimes dark. Use tweezers to remove it.
