Fraser Lewry's Animal Alphabet: X

It turns out there are plenty of animals out there with names that begin with 'x'. Suggestions please for 'y'

Xangô Magro Wonton Wrap
Xangô Magro Wonton Wrap by Fraser Lewry on Flickr, some rights reserved. Got foodie photographs to show off? Join our group Fraser Lewry/Flickr

Last time out I claimed there were no animals beginning with 'x'. This simply isn't true, and I apologise for misleading you. In fact, animals beginning with 'x' inhabit all parts of the globe.

There's the x-ray fish, which lives in the waters of south-western Texas, Mexico, Central and South America. There's the xami hairstreak, a butterfly with worldwide distribution. There's xanthippe's shrew. There's the xantic sargo. There's xantu's hummingbird, xantu's leaf-toed gecko and xantu's swimming crab (Xantu was obviously a busy little zoologist). There's the xestus fangblenny and the xingu corydora and the x-l spring tui chub. These animals are all real and, as far as I know, perfectly edible.

The difficulty comes in trying to purchase these tasty fellows. Try calling Waitrose to enquire over their stock of xucaneb robber frog or xylophagous leafhopper and see how far it gets you. Not far, I can tell you. Even the specialist butchers I usually turn to in times of exotic meat shortage don't supply xuthus swallowtail or xeric ambersnail. There's a serious flesh drought, and it starts with the letter 'x'.

So I need to cheat, and various options are available. There's the comedy angle, where I cook up a Monty Python-themed ex-parrot, but I don't want to arouse the ire of the RSPB. There's the fantasy approach, where I build a replica, working xylophone out of various cuts of meat - a sirloin steak for the lowest note, a slice of fine parma ham for the highest - but that's a project for another day (I have blueprints and everything). There's the possibility of briefly dropping my 'no scientific names' rule and cooking up a lovely xistrellula kankauense and xylobates capucinus angustior pie, but I feel it would sully the purity of this resolutely unscientific project.

My only hope is to go Portuguese, in a Chinese style. Both nations, you see, love beasts beginning with 'x'. Madarin Chinese is full of fish beginning with the letter, from the xì tiáo tian zhû diao (found on sandy and muddy bottoms from coastal inlets to deeper water and used to make fish paste) to the xiâo tóu zhì kông xiâ hû yû (a type of ray).

The Portuguese, meanwhile, have the brilliantly named xixarro-do-lombo-preto (a popular food fish found in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans) and the xangô-magro. The latter? It's an anchovy.

Recipe: Makes 16-20 Xangô-Magro Wanton Wraps

100g xangô-magro fillets, mashed. Regular anchovies can also be used.
100g cream cheese
2 tbsp dill, finely chopped
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 egg white, lightly beaten
Black pepper to taste
Square wonton wrappers
20g melted butter

1) Pre-heat the oven to 180°c.

1) Mix the xangô-magro, cream cheese, dill and mustard with a fork until well combined.

2) Add a few grinds of black pepper.

3) Wet the edges of a wonton wrapper with the egg white, and place a teaspoon of the xangô-magro mix in the centre of each.

4) Fold the wonton wrapper according to your preferences.

5) Brush each wrap lightly with the melted butter, arrange on a baking tray, and cook for 15-18 minutes, until crisp and golden brown.

The wraps are feisty, fishy delights, an ideal party snack for people who love anchovies. For those who don't, I'd stick to sausage rolls.