Five crustaceans
From Borough Market: The Knowledge, a quick guide to some of the crustaceans found on Borough Market’s stalls
Clockwise from top:
Brown shrimp
Character Tiny, sweet and pinkish brown when cooked – which they must be almost as soon as they’re caught, to prevent them from sticking together.
Source Caught by day boats in Morecambe Bay, off the coast of Lancashire and Cumbria, where they’re often set in spiced butter to create the famous local speciality, potted shrimp.
Vannamei (king prawns)
Character Sweet and meaty tropical prawns with grey shells that turn orange-pink with heat.
Source Farmed along the equator in Central America and Asia, where concerns around environmental impacts have led to more sustainable methods being adopted.
Madagascan prawn
Character Large, succulent, grey-pink prawns renowned for their sweet flavour and lean meat.
Source Farmed in the warm waters of Madagascar in accordance with Marine Stewardship Council sustainability standards.
Carabinero
Character Dazzlingly crimson in colour, with an equally intense flavour, many regard these as peak prawn.
Source A deep-sea species sustainably caught by small family-owned boats off the coast of Spain and Morocco.
Langoustine
Character Pale, sunset-coloured crustaceans resembling a cross between a prawn and a lobster, both in appearance and flavour.
Source Over a third of the world’s langoustines are landed in Scotland, though the vast majority are exported to other countries.
Images: Kim Lightbody
From Borough Market: The Knowledge with Angela Clutton (Hodder & Stoughton 2022)
