Off the Shelf: Escargot

As we descend into winter, I am reminded that our way of life has been crippled by the pandemic for almost a year. During these challenging times, cooking (and eating, of course) have become my ideal pastimes.

From a young age, I have always had a strong appreciation for food and travel. But Covid-19 has made it essentially impossible for my family and I to travel or eat in restaurants.  Instead, we have learned how to recreate meals in our own kitchen that we enjoyed while traveling abroad. 

Escargot was my first restaurant quality dish that came off the shelf, literally. Did you know most restaurants use canned snails for this delicacy? In France, the many canned escargot products available on the market are sourced from over 200 snail farms, according to the “French Entrée” website. I would take you through the breeding process, but I am afraid that it might detract from the gastronomic achievement I hope to impart.

I found a recipe from the late Anthony Bourdain that was both entertaining and easy to follow. Mr. Bourdain suggested the use of the “best, priciest, preferably French canned snails” one could find. In true form, my first stop was Amazon. Prices ranged from $19.99 to $25.00 for a 1.5 dozen can. Luckily, the same can was being sold on Yummy Bazaar for $6.95. With my main ingredient in hand, I needed just a few more to pull this dish together — shallots, garlic, parsley, butter, white wine (for cooking), and a proper baguette. 

I followed Mr. Bourdain’s instructions almost precisely, only cutting his generous portion of butter by half. (On my second try, I did not make this grave mistake again.) I also chose to forgo the snail shells (sold separately and not edible!) in favor of an escargot dish that made broiling an easy task. While the snails were in the oven, I began toasting baguette slices to ensure immediate consumption of our dish. After it was finished, I used a tiny fork to retrieve one of the snails, quickly placing it on a perfect slice of baguette. The flavors were exactly as I remembered them in France. 

Go ahead. Give it a try! 

Ingredients

• 24 snails

• 1 shallot, thinly sliced

• ½ cup (110 ml) white wine

• 1 head of garlic, peeled and separated

• 1 ounce (28 g) flat parsley leaves

• 4 ounces (112 g) butter

• Salt and pepper

• 12 slices of baguette

• Equipment

• Small sauté pan

• Strainer

• Food processor

• Baking dish (if you’ve got shells)

• Another sauté pan (if you haven’t got shells)

Instructions

1. In the small sauté pan, combine the snails, shallot, and white wine and bring to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, then drain and set the snails aside. I know, I know—they’re ugly. But they’re good. Hang in there.

2. In the food processor, combine the garlic and parsley and pulse until finely chopped. Add the butter and process until the mixture is a smooth, green paste. Season with salt and pepper.

3. If you have snail shells, place a snail in each shell and then stuff the remaining space inside with the parsley butter.

4. If you have the snails in shells, ready to go, simply preheat the oven to broil, place the snails in a baking dish, and broil until the butter is sizzling. Serve immediately with the bread.

 5. If you have no shells, you can line a clean sauté pan   with the baguette slices, add the parsley butter, and melt over high heat. When the butter is liquefied, add the snails. As soon as the butter is sizzling, remove from the heat and serve immediately.