A Langoustine, or Nephrops Norvegicus, is a succulent white shell fish. It is a commonly eaten crustacean and is a small, slim, orange-pink lobster which grows up to 25 cm (10 inches) long. Crustaceans are predominantly aquatic arthropods and include lobsters, crabs, shrimps, and barnacles. Unlike other crustaceans, langoustines do not change colour as they are cooked and generally remain a light pink colour. They characteristically have a segmented body, a chitinous exoskeleton, and paired jointed limbs. They are found in The North Atlantic Sea and The Mediterranean Sea and are also called Dublin Bay Prawns or a Norway Lobster. They were originally found off the coast of Norway which is how they came about this name. Adult Langoustines leave their underwater burrows at night to feed on fish and worms. Langoustines are particularly prized for their delicious tail meat which is often called Scampi, and their claw meat. They are usually bought frozen and with the shells already removed so they are quick and simple to cook with and they can be bought all year round. When they are bought fresh they should be packed onto ice and have a strong sea smell to them. They can be cooked in a huge variety of ways. They are delicious roasted, barbequed, grilled or boiled and served with lemon or mayonnaise or they can be added to curry, pasta or paella. They can also be cooked and left to cool and served cold in a salad. Around 60,000 tonnes of Langoustine is caught annually and about 50% of this is in water around the United Kingdom. As a rule, the langoustines from the coldest waters are generally considered the tastiest which is why the ones caught off the coast of Scotland are particularly prized.
