Chilean spicy limpets are a delicious, traditional seafood appetizer from northern Chile made with limpets, rocoto pepper, and Chilean chili, served alongside creamy steamed white rice that offers just the right counterpoint. It takes 30 minutes of prep plus 10 minutes of cooking, and serves six.
When preparing spicy limpets, always make sure to clean them thoroughly, removing any impurities; follow the instructions below and you’ll get a truly spectacular result.
How to Make Chilean Spicy Limpets?
When preparing spicy limpets, always make sure to clean them thoroughly, removing any impurities; then follow the instructions below and you’ll get a truly spectacular result.
Nutritional Information
Each serving of spicy limpets (without rice) contains approximately 150 kcal, 5 g of carbohydrates, 10 g of fat, 8 g of protein, 2 g of fiber, 1 g of sugars, 35 mg of cholesterol, and 300 mg of sodium. (*) Values may vary depending on the ingredients and portion sizes used.
Homemade Chilean Spicy Limpets Recipe
Preparation: 30 minutes
Cooking: 10 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Ingredients
- 6 large limpets
- 3 garlic cloves
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 1 ½ onions, chopped
- 1 tablespoon parsley
- 1 rocoto pepper
- 1 cacho de cabra chili pepper
- Fine sea salt
- Black pepper
Instructions
- Wash the limpets in plenty of water until very clean, drain, and cut them into small cubes. Add the halved rocoto, the seeded cacho de cabra chili, and the garlic to a blender, pour in 1 cup of cold water, and blend at medium speed until you get a smooth sauce.
- Add the oil to a pot heated over medium heat and saute the onion for about 5 to 10 minutes, stirring until translucent; add the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour in the reserved blended chili sauce and stir, bring to a boil over medium heat, and boil for a couple of minutes.
- Finally add the chopped limpets and bring to a boil; remove the pot from the heat immediately to avoid overcooking. Serve hot, alongside steamed white rice, topped with fresh parsley leaves and, optionally, a glass of white wine.
Additional Tips
Thaw Frozen Limpets Slowly
If using frozen limpets, make sure they’re good quality and thaw them slowly in regular refrigeration about 24 hours before cooking.
Adjust the Heat to Taste
If you’d like a milder dish, remove the seeds from the chilies before blending them. You can also experiment with milder Chilean chili varieties.
Never Overcook the Limpets
The secret to not ruining the limpets is the brevity of the cooking. Remove the pot from the heat the moment it returns to a boil after adding them.
| Original Ingredient | Substitute | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Limpets | Fresh clams or mussels | Different flavor, but keeps the briny seafood character |
| Rocoto pepper | Habanero, seeds removed | Similar heat level, adjust quantity to taste |
| Cacho de cabra chili | Fresno or red jalapeño | Milder heat, use slightly more for a similar flavor depth |
| Fine sea salt | Kosher salt | Use slightly less by volume since kosher salt is coarser |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How do I tone down the heat?
To soften the heat, add ½ cup of coconut milk or 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter at the end of cooking. Serving it with avocado or fresh cheese also helps, since they neutralize capsaicin.
2. Can the finished dish be frozen?
It’s not recommended. Cooked limpets turn rubbery once thawed. If you need to store it, refrigerate for a maximum of 24 hours and reheat gently over low heat with a splash of water.
3. How can I tell if limpets are fresh?
Fresh limpets should smell like the sea, never ammonia, feel firm to the touch (not soft), and their foot (the muscular part) should retract slightly when touched.
Health Benefits of Limpets
Limpets are a mollusk high in fatty acids and rich in protein, so regular consumption, as part of a balanced diet, can be very beneficial for our health.
Did You Know?
Their popularity in local cuisine isn’t only due to their flavor, but also to how hard they are to harvest, since limpets cling to rocks in the sea, requiring skill and care to collect them.
