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The greatest thing you can grace a slice of toast with comes from the windy sandpits of Morecambe Bay   Morecambe Bay Brown Shrimps are renowned for their delicate taste and unique texture. They are often quoted as the mightily superior shrimp but don’t take our word it; try the recipe from our head chef Warren Lee and see for yourself. Infamous for its quicksand and fast moving tides, the Morecambe Bay has earned the nickname “The wet Sahara”. It is a place where there’s no time for crybabies or man flu; men are hardened by the forces of British nature and earn their living facing the rain and the wind of the bay every day. Morecambe Bay Brown Shrimps are a very local affair and have been caught by fishermen for hundreds of years. Originally the shrimp fields of Ulverston Channel were full of horse-drawn carts dragging nets and men who couldn't afford a horse would be manually netting, further in towards the shore. Even though the horses have now changed to tractors, the traditional cooking of the shrimps still lives on at The Mercer. The locally caught shrimps are boiled in butter with a combination of spices until they are tender. The Queen’s Guide to The Sands, royally appointed local guides, have been at Morecambe Bay to help the crossing of the bay since the 16th century. Prior to that, the monks of Furness at Cartmel Priory had provided guides for crossing the sands. In modern times a crossing of the sands has become a popular challenge walk for charity fundraisers. Warren Lee’s recipe for Morecambe Bay Potted Shrimps, serves 6 people:  400g browns shrimp (peeled) 200g clarified butter 1 finely chopped shallot 1 pinch of ground mace 1 pinch cayenne pepper 2 tea spoons of chopped chives 1 tea spoon of lemon juice 1 teaspoon of lemon zest Few drops anchovy essence Salt & pepper 1. Gently cook the shallots in the butter until soft 2. Add all remaining ingredients and mix well 3. Divide into six small ramekin dishes or kilner jars pushing the mix flat with the back of a spoon 4. Allow setting in the fridge, but removing at least 20 minutes before serving so the butter is spreadable 5. Serve with hot toast and a watercress salad

The Mercer 3434 Threadneedle Street, EC2R 8AY  London  ::Tel 0207 628 0001::  info@themercer.co.uk