Periwinkles with desert lime sauce

Periwinkles are native Australian edible sea snails and have been a traditional food source for Indigenous Australians for thousands of years. If you haven’t tasted one, periwinkles are described as briny-sweet tasting (not unlike oysters), with a meaty texture similar to clams – but these special snails have a complex flavour that cannot be substituted, and are worth tracking down!

• serves

  4

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

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Ingredients

• 1 kg fresh periwinkles (see Note)
• 1 sheet wakame, to serve
• 1 long red chilli, finely chopped, to serve
• 2 spring onions, thinly sliced, to serve

For the desert lime chilli sauce

• 2 long red chillies, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp desert limes, halved
• 5 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp fried shallots
• 2 tbsp dried scallops, blitzed with ½ tbsp oil
• 2 tbsp roasted shrimp paste
• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tsp ground pepperberry
• 150 ml canola oil
• 1 tbsp mirin
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 3 fresh lemon myrtle leaves
• 40 g ginger, sliced
• 1 tsp tamarind purée
• 1 tbsp Cheong Chan cooking caramel

Instructions

1. To make the desert lime chilli sauce, combine the ingredients in a large, heavy-based saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 30 minutes on low heat.
   
2. Boil the periwinkles in salted water for 20 minutes, then drain. Rehydrate the wakame in plenty of water for 5-10 minutes.
   
3. Heat a large wok, or large frying pan over high heat, then add the desert lime chilli sauce and drained periwinkles. Stir fry for 5-10 minutes, or until combined and heated through.
   
4. To serve, drain the wakame and place it onto a serving platter. Top with the periwinkles with desert lime chilli sauce. Sprinkle with chilli and spring onion and serve.
   

Note

• Periwinkles are also available frozen. Reduce cooking times if using pre-cooked frozen periwinkles; boil for 7 minutes and stir fry for 1 - 2 minutes.
  

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Stream free On Demand

Seasonal Savers

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

24m

G

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

24m

G