Langoustines on Burnt Butter Toast with Dill and Sea Lettuce

1. 01

   Prep the langoustines

   If they're alive, chill them 20 minutes first — makes them drowsy, easier on everyone's conscience. Split them lengthwise with a sharp knife, running down the centre of the head. You'll hear a light crack. Remove the dark vein running along the back, rinse under cold water, pat absolutely dry on kitchen paper. Dry = golden colour in the pan.

   ~10 min
2. 02

   Toast the bread

   Get a heavy pan or griddle hot. Char each slice 2-3 minutes a side until you've got dark gold edges and a few blackened bits — that's not burnt, that's character. Lay them on a warm plate; don't butter yet.

   ~5 min
3. 03

   Burn the butter

   Crank the heat high. Drop the butter into a large stainless-steel pan (not non-stick, you need to see what's happening). Watch it melt, then foam, then turn hazelnut-brown. You'll smell it before you see it — that's your cue. The solids should be dropping to the bottom, going golden-dark. Takes about 4 minutes. Don't walk away.

   ~5 min
4. 04

   Cook the langoustines

   Slide the split langoustines into that hot burnt butter, flesh-side down. They'll sizzle immediately. Leave them 90 seconds without touching, then flip. Another 60 seconds and they're done — the flesh should be opaque and firm, not rubbery. Taste a small bit if you're nervous. A squeeze of lemon juice now, over and in.

   ~3 min
5. 05

   Dress the toast

   Quickly spoon a little of that burnt-butter liquid over each toast slice. The bread will drink it up like rain after drought.

   ~2 min
6. 06

   Finish and serve

   Lay 3 langoustine halves on each toast. Scatter torn dill and crumbled sea lettuce over the top. One small pinch of fleur de sel on each. Serve immediately — lukewarm langoustines are sadness on a plate.

   ~2 min

First bite: the sweetness of langoustine hits you, then that hazelnut-dark butter undertone, then the char from the toast. Midway through: salt from the seaweed, brightness from the dill cutting the richness. Last bite: lemon and butter and brine all melting together. The whole thing tastes like summer on the Scottish coast tastes — expensive, fleeting, worth every penny.

• ·Langoustines cook in about 90 seconds total — overcook them by 30 seconds and they tighten up and turn sad. Watch the pan, not your phone.
• ·Burnt butter is hot butter. Don't splash it around or taste it fresh from the pan unless you enjoy pain and blistered lips.
• ·Sea lettuce is optional but it gives you this marine minerality that ties the whole thing together. Worth hunting for.