Re: Man as snail predator

From:          "Cyndi K" <cyndik@hollinet.com>
To:            <medit-plants@ucdavis.edu>
Subject:       Man as snail predator
Date:          Wed, 24 Feb 1999 05:26:06 -0800
Reply-to:      cyndik@hollinet.com

Does anyone know how garden snails are prepared for cooking (and/or have
recipes)? I promised ages ago to post the info on my garden site but never
have found it. I remember you let them cruise in a pan of cornmeal for a few
days but beyond that, all is foggy.

Cyndi Kirkpatrick
Eos Development
http://www.eosdev.com

Dear Cindi

ESCARGOTS - an easy but slimy task.
Gather the largest fat snails from your garden (use only the common 
European snail Helix aspera I think, but don't ask me how to 
differentiate from others; we have only this var. here as a common 
garden pest.) At least a dozen per guest (if you dare serve them to 
guests)
Keep them somewhere safe, clean and dry - escape proof; like a 
plastic trash can with a fitted lid.
Cleanse them by feeding for 3-4 days on bran and pollard.
Purge for several days by feeding nothing.
Prepare a large pot of water with some salt, peppercorns, a bay leaf 
or three, a clove or two of garlic, some parsley. Bring it to the 
boil.
Throw in the snails - dope them in the Fridge for a few hours if you 
are squeamish about them possibly being in pain.
They froth and slime and seethe. It looks awful and gooey and yukky 
and green. Then it goes a gruesome grey. Ooooohhhhhhh  Eeeeeerrrrr.
Horrid. But don't throw them out in revulsion.
Cook only for three minutes or so to kill the beast and lightly cook 
the flesh.
Take off the heat, tip into a colander, rinse under cold water, 
refresh in a large quantity of cold water with ice cubes. Drain and 
set on kitchen paper. Keep cool or in 'fridge.
Keep the shells and wash them thoroughly in several changes of water. 
Drain. Shake. Dry. (use a very low, or just turned off oven)
Take a mess of butter, more garlic - as much as you like (the snails 
themselves have almost no flavour), freshly ground black pepper, some 
salt, coarse;y chopped parsley and mix well into a herb butter.
Now take a shell and stuff it with a small knob of the herb butter, a 
snail carcase and top off with as much herb butter as needed to fill 
the shell. Continue until all the snails are used up. MAke more 
butter if needed.
Now to cook them. A medium oven. A baking pan with a layer of coarse 
sea salt, or one of those special enamel doo-hickey's made in France 
by Le Cruesset for cooking snails in. Put each snail with the mouth 
of the shell facing upwards. Slip into the oven on the top shelf - 
anywhere if your oven is fan-forced. Cook for no more than 10mins 
until the butter is bubbling and the whole house is filled with a 
wonderful aroma.
Serve with crusty bread to soak up the melted butter, eat with a 
snail pick or small fork, holding the snail shell with your fingers 
and then drinking the remaining buttery juices from the shell. Or you 
could use more special French gear - snail tong, but fingers are 
always best.
Cold white wine or a strong rose, light merlot or beaujolais type red 
wine are all good accompaniaments.
It is a good idea to drink wine at every stage of preparation, 
especially if it helps to relax you and forget the guilts about doing 
such wonderful things to one of Nature's lesser creatures. Definitely 
not a dish for animal liberationists or vegetarians - unless you 
leave out the snails!

regards

trevor n

-----------------
Trevor Nottle
Garden Writer, Historian,     
Lecturer and Comsultant 
       
    'Walnut Hill'                          
     5 Walker St       
     Crafers SA 5152 
     AUSTRALIA

Phone: +618 83394210
Fax:   +618 83394210
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index