Ormers

[liuzhou]

The UK seafood that could send you to jail

 

Quote

Unique to the Channel Islands but most famously harvested on Guernsey, ormers can only be gathered around 20 days of the year – and are wrapped in a host of rules.

 

The article is non-commital regarding the taste, so I looked up some more of the earliest references in English which are more positive.

 

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1672 Sir C. Lyttelton in Hatton Corr. (Camden) 81 Ye ormers were thought most excellent meate.    

 

1694 Falle Jersey ii. 74 We have also the Ormer, which is a Fish scarce known out of these Islands. Ormer‥is a Contraction of Oreille de Mer.‥ It has no Under-shell like the Oyster, but the Fish clingeth to the Rock with the Back, and the Shell covers the Belly.   

 

1837 M. Donovan Dom. Econ. II. 169 The ormer, a shell-fish, has been compared to veal-cutlet.    

 

1856 Woodward Mollusca iii. 425 Ormers‥may be removed from the rocks to which they adhere by throwing a little warm water over them.    

 

1873 M. Collins Squire Silchester II. xvi. 201 The ormer is the most delicious of univalves.

 

Anyone sampled them?

Edited March 4, 2021 by liuzhou (log)

[Katie Meadow]

15 hours ago, liuzhou said:

The UK seafood that could send you to jail

 

 

The article is non-commital regarding the taste, so I looked up some more of the earliest references in English which are more positive.

 

 

Anyone sampled them?

Sounds intriguing. More like a snail than a bivalve. With a mythology that's made them cling to the edge of extinction.

[liuzhou]

There are passing mentions of ormers in this old topic. Nothing else that I can find.

 

 

[weinoo]

The ortolans of the sea?

[Anna N]

18 minutes ago, weinoo said:

The ortolans of the sea?

That was absolutely my first thought! I have never sampled them and in all honesty this is the first time I have ever heard of them. 

[liuzhou]

I can buy regular abalone here - fresh and frozen, but I'm intrigued as to what the difference might be. Might have to wait till I can get to the Channel Islands.

 

Fresh Abalone

 

[Duvel]

3 hours ago, liuzhou said:

I can buy regular abalone here - fresh and frozen, but I'm intrigued as to what the difference might be. Might have to wait till I can get to the Channel Islands.

 

Fresh Abalone

 

That was my assessment as well, based on the look and the description on cooking them (just browsed through). I have to admit I never really “got” Abalones ...

[heidih]

22 minutes ago, Duvel said:

That was my assessment as well, based on the look and the description on cooking them (just browsed through). I have to admit I never really “got” Abalones ...

 

From the right water, lightly pounded and grilled butter & lemon = essence of sea sweet. I like the slight chew.  But the noted risk reminds me of the gooseneck barnacle harvested on the treacherously rocky coast of Asturia and Galica..