Also known as Dublin Bay prawns or scampi, langoustines are orangey-pink in colour when live. When buying live, select medium sized langoustines, which have all their legs and pincers intact, and ideally are moving and not limp. They should not feel heavy for their size, as this indicates good muscle quality. If storing before cooking, place the langoustines in a container in the bottom of the fridge covered with a damp tea towel. Do not store for longer than 24 hours. Before cooking live langoustines, place them in the freezer for 15 minutes to sedate them.
1. Put the langoustine belly side down on a board and cut down through the head and tail to divide in half.
2. Remove the grit or stomach sac from each langoustine half.
3. Remove the intestinal tract from the tail. Any liver in the head area can be left in or spooned out and used in a sauce.