It is shellfish season and there is a wealth of food on our shores

Chop an onion. Put it in a pot. Cover it with white wine. Add a clove of garlic and a sprig of fresh rosemary and thyme. Bring the whole lot to the boil. Add in 1kg of mussels and cover. Steam for 2-3 minutes until all the mussels are open. Serve and enjoy.

Chop an onion. Put it in a pot. Cover it with Oloroso sherry. Add in some diced Gubbeen chorizo and a knob of butter. Bring the whole lot to boil. Add in 1kg of surf clams. Steam for 2-3 minutes until all the clams are open. Serve and enjoy.

Chop an onion. Put it in a pot. Cover it with cider. Add in a handful of fresh or dried dillisk. Bring the whole lot to the boil. Lay 12 oysters into the pot in a circle. Cover and steam until the oysters open slightly. Pop them all and serve with some dillisk and cider poured into each one.

Hands-on eating

We have a wealth of shellfish off the coast of Ireland. It's simple and easy to cook. In truth, we don't eat enough of it. We complain when our fisherman export it to France and Spain, but what choice do they have?

Recently, chatting to a Spanish chef about Irish food, I realised he had no idea that we have a massive wealth of beautiful shellfish, and that many of the varieties he uses in his restaurant originate in Ireland.

Shellfish dishes are beautiful to share with others, particularly the kids. Children like tactile food and enjoy being able to interact with it with their hands. My grandma always told me not to play with my food. I think we can make an exception here.

Cooking shellfish is simple. The important thing is not to overcook it as it becomes very rubbery. When steaming your mussels, clams or oysters, do so for the briefest time and take them off when they are just open. In this way, they’ll be juicy and plump.

We need to take more pride in our native food. So, go out now and buy some Irish shellfish, and get cooking. It is in season.