A marine mollusc, the whelk belongs to the family of gastropods, which means “belly on foot”, and is characterized by a twisted shape. Depending on the region, the whelk, or Buccinum undatum, can have various names: whelk, sea snail, calicoco (Cotentin), chucherolle, caricole in Brussels or bourgot in Quebec… It is found in the North Atlantic.
In the Mediterranean, it is replaced by two closely related species: Buccinum humphreysianum and Buccinulum corneum. Carnivores and scavengers, whelks approach shores after storms to feed on shipwrecked creatures, as Patrick Cadour explains in Stories and Recipes of the Surf (Editions de l’Epure, 2017), because, “thanks to an adapted sensory organ, they perceive from afar the effluvia of amino acids released by the rotting bodies”.
For a long time, the consumption of whelks remained limited to the ribs, when they were not fed to pigs. It was not until the 1920s that the gastropod became popular, its fishing intensifying to the point that it had to be regulated in the 1960s, to protect the species. It is now forbidden to trap it in January, at its peak of reproduction. Its minimum catch size is 4.5 centimeters in length, a rule also followed by any self-respecting shore fisherman.
The Taste of M
Classic
The basic combo of a good bistro table: a bowl of whelks-mayo! Drained in cold water then cooked in court-bouillon, removed from its shell with a pick, the whelk nestles in the mayonnaise, which can be spicy, garlicky, spicy or herbaceous as desired. But it can also be served stuffed with parsley like its cousin the land snail.
Innovative
Integrated into a terrine or a seaweed condiment, the whelk takes on a new culinary dimension. It also lends itself to cooking in a stew (with tomato and herbs) and can even be eaten in an iodized soup. But it’s in a salad that we prefer it, with warm potatoes, a little quinoa, celeriac or rave (in remoulade), or flavored with lemongrass, ginger and garlic, for a dish Asian inspired.