Matron goes winkling!

 This takes me back to childhood holidays in Cornwall!  Whilst out on a seaside walkies along the Solent I saw these winkles - or common periwinkles at low tide.

 I checked with a local wildlife warden that the sea quality in this part of the Solent is excellent!  Strong tides bring fresh water to the area twice a day.

 So I picked a bucket of winkles from the rocks and picked some seaweed to pack with them.  After cleaning thoroughly I soaked them overnight in salt water to allow them to filter out any sand or impurities.

 Boil in salty water , with the seaweed, for about 10 minutes and then cool in the fridge for a couple of hours. 

Fiddly work to get them out of their shells with a needle or a pin (my Grandfather was a London pawnbroker so we have some long pawnbrokers pins for the task)  It is well worth the effort.  Serve with vinegar and pepper on a slice of wholemeal bread.  Perfect!