TableJourney

Where to eat Lapas grelhadas in Funchal

Limpets prised off the basalt at low tide, grilled in their shells on a metal dish with garlic butter and a wedge of lemon squeezed over at the table. Chewy, briny, and eaten with a small fork.

The story of Lapas grelhadas

Limpets were subsistence food on Madeira long before they were a starter, gathered off the volcanic shelf by anyone with a knife and a low tide. They are cooked in the shell so the liquor stays in, on a flat metal plate set straight over the heat, with a lump of garlic butter dropped on each one. Harvesting is now regulated to protect the beds, and the season closes for part of the year, which is why the price on a Funchal menu moves. Lemon is not optional.

How to make Lapas grelhadas

Serves: Serves 2

Ingredients

  • 24 fresh limpets in the shell
  • 80g butter, softened
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • Small handful of parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 lemon, cut into wedges
  • Black pepper

Method

  1. Rinse the limpets under cold running water and scrub the shells. Do not soak them, which flushes out the liquor.
  2. Beat the softened butter with the chopped garlic, parsley and a good grind of black pepper.
  3. Heat a heavy flat metal dish or cast-iron pan over a high flame until it is properly hot.
  4. Arrange the limpets shell side down in a single layer so the liquor stays in each shell.
  5. Drop a teaspoon of garlic butter onto each limpet and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until the butter is bubbling and the flesh has just firmed.
  6. Take the whole dish to the table and squeeze lemon over the limpets immediately before eating.

Editor tip. Cook them no longer than five minutes. Limpets turn to rubber quickly and no amount of butter brings them back.

The editor picks for Lapas grelhadas in Funchal are still in research. Meanwhile, see the Funchal signature-dishes index or the Funchal food guide.