Scampi and Chips anyone?

Food features strongly in The Dumb Waiter, not surprisingly when its the main purpose of the miniature culinary lift, and while I am sure I could write an essay on Pinter’s use of food in the text, this will be more of a general interest story, specifically Scampi.

“I’m not entirely sure what scampi is,” I asked our marvellous direct Mr Jamie Glover, “is it prawns?”

“I think its monkfish tail, but don’t hold me to that.” was the (slightly paraphrased) response.

So I did the only thing you can do when you need a question answered, I googled, and it turns out:

“Scampi is a culinary preparation of Nephrops norvegicus or a similar lobster such as Metanephrops.”

Of course!  Nephrop and Metanphrop I know them well…

www.ifood.tv Thankfully has a more enlightening explanation to the breaded seafood’s history.

"The shrimp scampi was first mentioned in the American cookbooks published in 1920. It referred to a dish cooked with shrimps which had been basted with olive oil, white wine, garlic and butter. The Italian scampi recipe gained popularity in America after the World War II with the Tenakill Restaurant of New Jersey being the first to advertise the dish. The Norway lobster started replacing the Dublin Bay prawns gradually in Britain in the 1950s and 60s. The scampi recipe from Italy recommended deep frying the large lobster tails after they had been coated in breadcrumbs."

Scampi around the World!

• USA- Shrimps served with garlic, butter and wine. A popular variation of this dish is made with chicken instead of the shellfish.

• UK- Norway lobster covered with batter and deep fried. Fried shrimps served with chips are also popular across Great Britain and Ireland.

• Greece- Baked shrimps served with Parmesan cheese.

• Italy- Fried shrimps served with linguine pasta and black pepper.

• Japan-Witloaf cooked with orange and olive oil is topped with shallow fried shrimps seasoned with herbs.

America even has a National Scampi Day on April 29^th!

Langoustine scampi with lemon mayo

Top of Form

Ingredients

·         vegetable oil, for deep frying

·         28 langoustines, shelled and de-viened

·         110g/4oz self-raising flour

·         110g/4oz cornflour

·         275ml/9floz tonic water

·         2 tbsp vodka

For the mayonnaise

·         2 free-range eggs, yolks only

·         2 tsp white wine vinegar

·         1 tsp Dijon mustard

·         300ml/10fl oz rapeseed oil

·         1 lemon, juice only

·         sea salt, to taste

Preparation method

1.    For the scampi, heat a deep fat fryer to 190C/375F. (CAUTION: Hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)

2.    Meanwhile, mix the flour and cornflour in a bowl until well combined.

3.    Pour the tonic water into the flours and whisk in the vodka until the batter is about the consistency of double cream.

4.    Coat the langoustines in the batter and fry in the oil for 3-4 minutes, or until golden-brown and crisp.

5.    Remove the scampi with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

6.    For the mayonnaise, place the eggs, white wine vinegar and mustard into a food processor and blend until pale and creamy.

7.    With the motor running, pour in the oil, in a slow steady stream, until the mayonnaise is thick (you may not need all the oil). Mix in the lemon juice.

8.    To serve, pile the scampi in a serving bowl and serve the lemon mayonnaise alongside. Finish with a sprinkle of sea salt and a squeeze of lemon juice.