Ingredients

Samphire

Other Names: Chicken claws, criste marine or pousse-pied (France), glasswort, Marsh Samphire, Meerfenchel (Germany), pickle plant, rock samphire, salicornia, sea bean, sea pickle.

General Description: Samphire refers to two similar salty plants, Salicornia europaea and Crithmum maritimum, that grow along seacoasts. In the U.S., salicornia, which belongs to the Chenopodiaceae (goosefoot) family, is abundant along both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts. Its spiky green leaves and its stem are crisp, aromatic, and taste of the salty sea. Sea bean is a recent name used in marketing this plant, which is not seaweed but rather a succulent salt-tolerant plant that grows wild in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

Rock samphire is a member of the Umbelliferae family that grows along the coasts of Great Britain and northwestern Europe. It is a succulent, smooth, many-branched vegetable, woody at the base. Its bright green fleshy leaves have a thick, translucent coat and are full of salty, aromatic juice. Rock samphire commonly inhabits inaccessible ledges of sea cliffs, and at one time collecting it was a hazardous and sometimes lethal trade.

Season: Wild samphire is sold mainly in the summer. By fall, when it may turn reddish, it develops a tough, fibrous central filament but can still be used as a bed for cooking. Cultivated sea bean is sometimes available.

Purchase: Choose crisp, brightly colored, small sprigs of samphire that are firm.

Avoid: Pass up samphire that is flabby, darkening, or slimy.

Storage: Store samphire in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Refrigerate tightly wrapped in plastic for up to 2 weeks—though the sooner it is used the better the flavor.

Preparation:

Note: Samphire is best used raw in salads or as a garnish. When cooked, salicornia can taste salty and fishy unless pickled.

Soak in ice water to revive any limp leaves after storage.
Trim off any rootlets and discard.
`Cut away the base and cut into pieces.

Serving Suggestions: Fill the cavity of a sea bass with sprigs of fennel and bake, then serve on a bed of steamed samphire that has been tossed in butter and seasoned with freshly ground black pepper. Briefly boil samphire leaves, then cover with vinegar and spices to pickle. Steam sea beans with mussels, chicken stock, wild onions, lemon, and butter to maximize their seashore flavors.

Flavor Affinities: Aioli, butter, crab, fish, lemon, mussels, olive oil, sweet onions, vinegar.

from Quirk Books: www.quirkbooks.com