Escargot are a traditional French dish consisting of land snails served in their shells, usually served as an appetizer. In this article we cover everything you need to know about Escargot along with a recipe to try for yourself.
History
It’s not a new craze or anything, in fact, this dish has been around for centuries. Snail shells have been eaten since prehistoric times according to the excavation sites.
But the Romans, in particular, were very fond of Escargot and even claimed it as an elite food. According to Pliny, the elder, Fluvius Hirpinus fed his snails with wine and meat. That probably shows just how important they were in roman cuisine.
Nowadays, the dishes are made with land snails which are exclusive to many areas of France and the UK.
How Does Escargot Taste?
Before you try and muster up enough courage to try a snail, you should have some idea of what it tastes like. Usually, the snail itself doesn’t have too much flavor of its own except a gritty aftertaste, which you get after eating mollusks.
For the weak-stomached people, the after taste might be off-putting, but a properly cooked snail will leave you with a smooth buttery taste. Basically, it doesn’t have a taste of its own, instead, it picks up the flavor of the sauce.
French Escargot (Snails) Recipe
In heliciculture, the snails are first prepared by purging of their undesirable contents, this process usually involves a mix of fasting, purging or just feeding them something they like! Farm-raised snails are usually fed ground cereals.
Ingredients
Escargot
- Wild Burgundy snails de-shelled - 36
- Shallots, minced - 4 oz.
- Garlic, peeled and finely chopped - 1 head
- Parsley - 1 bunch
- Butter - 3 tbsp
- Brioche, cut into 36 small rings - 1
Butter
- Butter - 1 lb
- Italian parsley, chopped - 1 bunch
- Tarragon - 1/4 bunch
- Garlic - 1/2 head
- Fine sea salt - 2 tsp
- Freshly ground black pepper - 1 tsp
Instructions
Butter Sauce Recipe
- Wash and prepare the parsley by removing its stems.
- Chop up your peeled garlic.
- Then mix all the ingredients together until it's a smooth paste-like consistency (for this you'll need room temperature butter).
- Then season!
Main Dish Recipe
- First and foremost, rinse the snails and sauté them at low heat.
- then add butter and sauté the snails with shallots and garlic for almost 10 minutes.
- Next, season to taste and add chopped up parsley.
- For now, let them cool.
- After they've cooled, assemble in 12 snail gratin dishes with one snail in each hole and garlic butter up to the brim.
- Top them with fine brioche croutons.
- Lastly, preheat the oven at 350 Fahrenheit and bake each dish for 7 minutes, or until the butter is all bubbly.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1110Total Fat: 72gSaturated Fat: 43gTrans Fat: 3gUnsaturated Fat: 23gCholesterol: 388mgSodium: 1527mgCarbohydrates: 96gFiber: 4gSugar: 17gProtein: 21g