Garlic Butter Periwinkles

Steamed periwinkles tossed in garlic butter with herbs. Simple, satisfying, and perfect with crusty bread.

Prep: 20 mins

Cook: 10 mins

Serves 4

Easy

Ingredients

1
Rinse the periwinkles thoroughly under cold running water 5-6 times until the water runs clear. Discard any that are cracked or don't close when tapped.
2
In a large pot, combine the white wine, bay leaf, half the garlic, and thyme. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat.
3
Add the periwinkles and cover immediately. Steam for 5-7 minutes, shaking the pot occasionally.
4
The periwinkles are done when you can see the little operculum (the door) has loosened. Drain, reserving a few tablespoons of the cooking liquid. Discard the bay leaf.
5
In a large pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the remaining garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant but not browned.
6
Add the steamed periwinkles to the garlic butter along with a splash of the reserved cooking liquid. Toss to coat.
7
Add the lemon juice and most of the parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
8
Transfer to a serving bowl, sprinkle with remaining parsley, and serve immediately with crusty bread for dipping in the garlic butter.

💡Use a toothpick or small seafood fork to extract the meat from the shells. Give a gentle twist to pull them out.
💡Periwinkles are sometimes called 'poor man's escargot' and can be prepared the same way.
💡Only use wine you'd happily drink - dry whites like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc work best.
💡Make sure periwinkles are alive before cooking - they should retreat into their shell when touched.