I'm making escargot and was just wondering, other than rinsing them in water,

R

randi

Well-known member
are there any tricks to getting them truly awesome? maybe a brief rest in cognac, draining and adding into the garlic, butter and herb mix? I want these to be the best ever.

TIA

 
REC: Escargots a l'Alsacienne, from Andre Soltner. These really are the best ever!

ESCARGOTS A L'ALSACIENNE
(Snails Alsace-style)

From The Lutece Cookbook by André Soltner

48 canned snails
1/2 cup dry white wine, Alsatian wine preferred
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon powdered gelatin
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
salt
pepper, fresh ground
1 recipe snail butter, below

Drain the snails of the juice they are canned in, rinse under cold water, and put them in a saucepan.

Combine the wine and chicken stock. Dissolve the gelatin in the combined liquids, and pour this liquid over the snails. Add the bay leaf, thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to the boil, and cook slowly for 5 minutes. Let the snails cool in the liquid.

(Can be done in advance to this point and refrigerated.)

Preheat the oven to 350*F.

Put each snail in a small timbale, or in a snail shell, with 1/2 tsp. of the slightly gelatinous juice they cooked in. Then fill each timale or shell with snail butter, pushing it in with your thumb.

Arrange the timbales on an ovenproof platter, or put the snail shells on a snail plate, and put the snails in the preheated oven. The snails are ready when the snail butter bubbles, about 10 minutes.

Serve very hot--directly from the oven--otherwise the butter separates.


SNAIL BUTTER

1/2 lb. (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 ample tablespoon parsley chopped fine
1 scant tablespoon garlic chopped fine
1 Tbs. shallots chopped fine
1/2 Tbs. Pernod or Ricard
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper, fresh ground

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl until thoroghly blended. Or, you may combine the ingredients in a processor for a few seconds, but do not overwork--the snail butter should retain its texture.

 
thanks Joe, I'll go with Soltner's recipe after I slap myself upside the head..

cause I have the Lutece cookbook! don't know why I didn't check his version. I guess it's time to pull it out and make some of his other dishes too.

would you mind checking inside your fridg in case I run short of snails? ROTF

couldn't resist that one.... "-)))

 
Thanks for this recipe Joe. I am surprised at the geletin. I just can't figure out why. What

does it add? Would it be to thicken the butter "sauce"?

 
It gives the juices a little more body. This recipe has a squirt of cooking juice underneath the

garlic butter. It would be a little runny without the gelatin, but would still be tasty.

 
Wonderful book, isn't it? I think my favorite recipe of all is his vegetable terrine with egg

vinaigrette, only I've never gotten it to set right, so I serve it as a roasted vegetable salad. Beautiful.

My fridge is escargot-free at the moment, lol, but there are plenty of the little buggers all over my garden if you want to fly down and hunt them!

 
They make the S car go!!!

This was the punchline of a joke that I can't remember... it had something to do with sanils in race helmets...

I just laugh every time I see the word...

Anyone remember the joke?

 
I'll get my pith helmet and net and be right down... "-))) alas, the escargot

will have to wait a week or two. husbands are all stressed getting taxes done and are rather humorless. they don't need the gals getting silly on french bubbly and cooking so we are having a girls night out instead. not too shabby '-)

 
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