Escargots

Tinned snails returned to shells under a garlic butter that is piped in behind them, so it melts down over the snail rather than under it.

Shellfish. Not vegetarian — contains shellfish.

Ingredients

• 48 prepared snails, tinned
• 48 snail shells
• 250 g butter, softened
• 8 cloves garlic, crushed to a paste
• 1 large bunch flat parsley, very finely chopped
• 2 shallots, very finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon Pernod, optional
• 1 teaspoon salt
• black pepper
• bread, to serve

Method

1. THE BUTTER GOES IN BEHIND THE SNAIL, NOT UNDER IT. The snail goes into the shell first, pushed well down, and the butter is then packed in on top of it and smoothed level with the rim. In the oven it melts DOWN over the snail and out of the shell. Butter put in first sits under the snail, runs out immediately and leaves the snail dry.
2. THE BUTTER IS PACKED, NOT SPOONED. Worked in with a small knife or piped, so there is no air pocket -- an air pocket boils and blows the butter out in the first two minutes.
3. TINNED SNAILS ARE WHAT EVERYONE USES AND THIS PAGE SAYS SO. Preparing live snails is days of purging and is a different undertaking entirely; the tinned ones are good and are what a restaurant uses. Rinse and dry them.
4. Snails drained, rinsed under cold water and PATTED DRY. Wet snails water down the butter.
5. Shells washed in boiling water and dried thoroughly.
6. Butter beaten with the garlic, parsley, shallots, Pernod, salt and a good deal of pepper until completely combined and bright green.
7. CHILLED 20 MINUTES if it has gone soft -- it needs to be firm enough to pack rather than pour.
8. One snail pushed into each shell, well down past the opening.
9. Butter packed in behind it with a small knife, pressed to exclude air, and smoothed level with the rim. Slightly proud is better than hollow.
10. Arranged opening UP in snail dishes, or on a bed of coarse salt in a roasting tin, which holds them level.
11. Chilled at least 1 hour, or frozen at this stage for weeks.
12. Baked at 200C for 10 to 12 minutes, until the butter is bubbling hard and just beginning to colour.
13. Served immediately with bread, whose actual purpose is the butter in the bottom of the dish.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

Filed under France · All recipes