Some people just love this cheap but nutritious food – Escargot (snail) recipes
The French love them and the outdoorsmen should know how to get the best from them, they’re free and well liked by thousands, if not millions of people, and you really have a go if you’re not already converted.
An idea for cleaning the snails.
Take your snails, and put them in a box that’s lined with bread, lightly sprinkled with some milk, and/or some fresh green leaves (non-toxic to humans!)
Leave them there for at least 24 hours – they should eat the bread/leaves and pass any soil, etc. out of their digestive tracts, making them tastier.
You can also add herbs etc. to their diet to influence the taste.
The traditional
Butter of Escargot “a la Burgundy”.
1 kilogram of butter (just over 2 lbs)
25 grams of salt
5 grams of black pepper
150 grams of garlic
35 grams of shallot or scallions
90 grams of parsley
Garlic, shallot, and parsley are chopped very fine. The whole is well mixed.
(Personal proportions can be modified. For example, some people prefer to have more shallots)
In each empty shell, place a little of this butter. Then push a cooked escargot into the shell. Fill the remaining space in the shell completely and smoothly with butter. Usually, 5 grams are used for a shell (a tea spoon).
Put in the oven (200 °C or 390 °F) just enough time needed to melt the butter. Serve immediately in special plates with holes. (Snails are picked with a special little fork).
Brochettes (skewers) of Escargots
Small wooden pikes
Parsley, garlic, shallots (scallions) and breadcrumbs.
Salt and pepper.
Oil.
Chop the garlic, the parsley, and the shallots and mix with the breadcrumbs.
Drain the escargot without drying them and put them on the pikes.
Roll the skewers in the mixture above.
Fry the breaded escargot in oil.
( 1/2 liter of oil in casserole, heat moderately: oil should not smoke).
Fry until each one is golden.
Serve hot!
Non Garlic Recipe
Escargot Petits Gris avec Vin Rouge
Cover snails with water, bring to the boil and simmer for 8 minutes, then plunge into cold water to stop the cooking. Remove from the shells, wash well and drain. Quickly fry streaky bacon, mushrooms, onions, thyme, sage and bay leaf, put in a casserole dish, add the snails and cover with a good red wine.
Cook in the oven on a low heat for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.