THEY say seafood can do strange things to a person and American actor Antonio Fargas is no exception. Having spent a day with the man, I can vouch that he has a very strong penchant for whelks. “I love whelks, I could eat them every day,” says Antonio Fargas.

For the uninitiated, a whelk is an edible type of sea snail.

Hearing of Antonio’s love of seafood, Ken Greenslade, the owner of Greenslade fishmongers in Poole Quay, offered the actor a dinner of freshly-caught whelks.

Most famous for his role as Huggy Bear in cult ’70s TV show Starsky and Hutch, Antonio is currently appearing in Jack and the Beanstalk at the Lighthouse, Poole.

Accepting the invitation, Antonio finished his panto performance for the evening and I joined them both for a bite to eat.

“I’ve just finished working, so I’m ready to eat anything,” says Fargas, 63.

The family-run fishmonger is a traditional slice of old Poole, bustling with fishermen emptying their catch and stray crabs wandering about the unloading yard.

Ken and his family warmly greet Antonio and before long we’re sat around a dining table being taught how to shell a whelk. “The traditional and still most popular way of eating a whelk is simply with vinegar and salt. But you’ve got to boil them first for 20 minutes,” says Ken.

As Antonio tucks into his bag of freshly caught whelks, he reminisces about eating them with Louisiana hot sauce when he was younger. He also says that he would have enjoyed eating whelks during his stint on I’m a Celebrity…. Get Me Out of Here in 2004.

“I would have been in heaven if they’d had whelks in the jungle. Say, have you ever had an actor over for dinner?” says Antonio.

With the conversation flowing Ken explains the potent, aphrodisiac qualities of the whelk. “I’m 92 and it puts lead in your pencil.

“Who needs oysters when you’ve got whelks?” says Ken.

With the main course finished, Mrs Greenslade produces a plateful of sprats for Antonio to sample.

These are small fish simply cooked with the head and skin left on.

There’s a silence as Antonio is presented with the dish, before he loudly announces “sprats – now that’s living” and he tucks into them.

Upon leaving, he thanks the Greenslade family for their warm hospitality and gives them tickets to see Jack and the Beanstalk.

They also exchange numbers and Antonio is invited back for Christmas Day lunch.

“My family will be in America, so that’s the best offer I’ve had,” says Antonio.