Winkles

Yes, it's the first Sunday of the month, and that spells Farmers' Market in Romsey.
Once again my small indulgence is £1 worth of winkles, straight from the fish market. In Portsmouth.
Not everyone's favourite, I know, but they a tasty morsel, though I appreciate that in effect twirling a tiny sea snail out of its shell on the end of a pin, is not universal choice.
I remember when I was a youngster having them at home as a rare treat from the local fishmonger. These days there are few fishmongers, and you usually have to resort to buying fish or shellfish from the fish counter at a supermarket - and very rarely will they have winkles.
So it's a welcom change to find them on the fish stall at a Farmers' Market and each month I now make a bee-line for that stall. Just £1 worth may sound a bit mean, but it's surprising how many you get for that money . They are easy enough to prepare, simply by washing in frequent changes of water, and they need only four to five minutes cooking,
Hey presto. They are ready to eat immediately. I usually pour over a little olive oil which gives them a nice shiny black appearance, and possibly enhances the flavour.
Whatever, I will finish these tonight and tomorrow. Than sadly, another four weeks till I can savour them again.