Snails baked in garlic-parsley butter, usually in their shells, are a classic French-inspired fine-dining appetizer in the United States. Called escargot in French, snails have a mild, earthy taste, and they acquire the flavors of the sauce or herbs with which they are cooked. They have a distinct, rubbery texture, similar to squid or scallops. Using canned snails will dramatically reduce preparation time. Serve this escargot recipe, known as escargots à la Bourguignonne, with a side of crusty bread to mop up the delicious juices.
Recipe Servings: 4
Prep Time
45 minutes
Cook Time
2 hours 5 minutes
Total Time
2 hours 50 minutes
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal
Ingredients
- 48 burgundian-type snails, cleaned
- 2 cups white wine, plus more as needed
- 2 cups stock (chicken or vegetable), plus more as needed
- 3 shallots, divided, with 2 roughly chopped and 1 minced
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 3 stems parsley
- 1 stem thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ lb butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup parsley, minced
- 48 snail shells, cleaned, boiled, and dried
- Salt, to taste
- Ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
- Place snails in a heavy, non-reactive pot with wine, stock, chopped shallots, onion, carrot, thyme and parsley stems, and bay leaf. Ensure that the liquid covers the snails, and, if needed to cover, add additional wine and stock in equal portions.
- Simmer snails for about 2 hours, and then drain, discarding cooking liquid.
- Preheat the broiler.
- Combine butter, garlic, minced shallot, and parsley, mixing thoroughly. Season to taste with salt and ground black pepper.
- Place a little of the butter mixture in each clean, dry snail shell.
- Add 1 snail to each shell.
- Fill shells with remaining butter mixture.
- Cook under the broiler until heated through, about 5 minutes. Take care not to let the butter brown.
- Serve immediately with fresh bread.
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