Grilled whelk with kombu beurre blanc, sautéed burdock and carrot

To begin, prepare the whelks. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and blanch the whelks for 1 minute before quickly draining and chilling in iced water. Using a fork, carefully remove the whelk from its shell, trying to pull it out in one piece if possible

Cut away the stomach of the whelks, discard, and rinse the meaty parts thoroughly. Thoroughly clean the the shells as these will be used for serving (they will take some scrubbing – steel wool will help)

Place the whelks in a small pan so they fit rather snugly and pour in a small amount of water until they are 50% covered – you can also add a dash of Chinese Xiaosing wine for additional flavour if desired. Braise for 20 minutes then allow to cool

Meanwhile, make the kombu beurre blanc. Place the shallots, white wine, rice vinegar and kombu in a pan and reduce by 50%. Strain and transfer the reduction into a smaller pan

Over a low heat, whisk in butter a couple of pieces at a time until all the butter is emulsified into the reduction. Season with salt and shiro dashi and set aside

To serve, slice the chilled whelk thinly and place on skewers. Grill until warmed through

While the whelk is grilling, prepare the carrot and burdock. Heat a frying pan over a high heat until it is very hot. Add the butter – it should brown almost immediately. Quickly add the carrot, burdock and wakame and sauté for 20 seconds. Deglaze with soy sauce to finish

Place the whelk skewers in the whelk shells and pour the beurre blanc over the top. Place on a bed of the sautéed carrot and burdock and serve