Preparing Fresh Snails is a traditional French recipe for the classic method of preparing edible snails for subsequent use in other dishes. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic French version of: Preparing Fresh Snails.
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Edible Escargot Snail: Escargot Snail (Helix pomatia) as prepared in this French dish of Preparing Fresh Snails.
Ingredients:
48 fresh snails (garden snails or edible snails) in their shells
white wine vinegar
salt
dry white wine
1 onion, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, coarsely chopped
1 celery stick, coarsely chopped
1 bouquet garni
10 garlic cloves, mashed
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Method:
If using garden snails, collect and place in a plastic box with damp newspaper on the base and holes drilled in the lid. Fast them for 2 days then discard the paper and replace with fresh. Add lettuce or cabbage or dandelion leaves etc. Allow the snails to feed for 5 more days before using. This ensures they are thoroughly purge.
The following steps can be done with garden snails purged as above, or with bought edible snails. Allow the snails to fast for 1 day. Take the fasted snails and rinse under cold, running, water. Transfer to a bowl and pour over enough white wine vinegar to over them. Stir in a handful of salt.
Cover everything with a heavy plate and set aside for 3 hours. Drain the snails and rinse under cold, running, water. Clean the snails thoroughly to remove all traces of mucous. Transfer the snails to a small saucepan, cover with water then bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes.
Drain the snails then remove the meats from the shells (you can do this with a cocktail stick, just twist your wrist to remove the snail meat from the shell's spiral). Transfer the shells to a clean saucepan, cover with salted water, bring to a boil and cook for 30 minutes. Drain the shells, clean throughly then set aside until completely dry.
Clean the shelled snails once again then remove the black part at the end of the tail. Transfer the prepared snails to a saucepan and cover with a 50:50 blend of water and dry white wine. Add the onion, carrots, celery, bouquet garni and garlic. Season with salt and black pepper then partially cover the saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 2 hours, or until the snails are tender. Take off the heat and set the saucepan aside for the snails to cool naturally.
When they are cold drain the snails and pat them dry. The snails can be stuffed back in the shells at this point, or you can proceed as the recipe requires.
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