The Very Famous Escargots 

Escargot à la Bourguignonne
The most famous French appetizer

Escargot Truffière
The famous specialty of La Truffiėre restaurant in Paris

Escargot Domes with Foie Gras and Duxelles

Aumonière d’Escargots
Escargots served with a creamy garlic sauce in feuilles de brick purses

Escargots are a delicacy for the gourmets and are served at distinguished dinners.

Roasted snail shells have been found in archaeological excavations, an indication that snails have been eaten since prehistoric times. In ancient Rome, snails were greatly favored. The Romans selected the best snails for breeding and cultivated them in a special vineyard in which they could feed and fatten. In the Middle Ages Christians ate large quantities of "wall fish" at Mardi Gras and during Lent.

The best-known varieties today are the "Burgundy snail" or vineyard snail (Helix Pomatia) and the "White Snail" (Helix Lucorum). Other varieties are cultivated in Algeria, Turkey, China, Indonesia and Africa but are not as highly esteemed as the Helix.

The vineyard snail is considered the best eating. It grows to about 1.5", and has a streaked, dull, yellowish brown shell. The meat is mottled pale brown, and has a rather strong "soil" flavor.

The white snail is bigger (about 1.75") and has a browner meat and shell.

 
The most famous French appetizer Garlic Butter

- 1-1/2 lb butter at room temperature
- 1-1/2 cup minced parsley
- 6 tbsp. finely minced green onion tops
- 2 shallots, very finely minced
- Sea Salt*
- Freshly ground white pepper

Cream butter and combine with remaining ingredients until thoroughly blend.

For the Escargots:

In a skillet, bring the broth, wine, shallots, garlic, bay leafs and allspice berries to a boil. Lower heat slightly and let liquid reduce to approximately 4 cups. Add snails, bring back to boil and cook gently 10 minutes. Strain, reserving broth, and set snails aside. Stuff each empty shell with approximately 3/4-tsp. of garlic butter. Place snail meat into the shell and, if desired, sprinkle with a little cheese. Seal shell opening with a thick coating of garlic butter (see hereafter), and dip into breadcrumbs to cover lightly but completely. Preheat oven to 450º. In a shallow baking pan, large enough to hold snails without crowding, heat 1/4 cup of the reserved snail liquid. Arrange snails in pan and bake in preheated oven 7 minutes. Broil 1 minute until crumbs are browned. Served with baguette for dipping into the delicious butter.

Escargot Truffiėre  
(A specialty of La Truffiėre restaurant in Paris)

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Slowly heat clarified butter in medium pan. Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes over moderate heat. Add tomato paste and slowly stir in wine. Add bouquet garni and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Add ham to sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix in snails and truffle and discard herbs sachet. Place snails in their shells or in the plate and top with sauce. Bake 5 minutes, until sauce bubbles.

Escargot Domes with Foie Gras and Duxelles

Cut into ½" thick slices the Foie Gras. Heat a small sauté pan until very hot and quickly sear Foie Gras slices until browned on both sides. Transfer Foie Gras to paper towels to drain and set aside. Transfer the rendered Foie Gras fat to a large sauté pan.

Duxelles: Heat over medium-high heat and sauté the shallots for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for one minute. Add the mushrooms, salt, pepper, and sauté, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms give off their liquid. Continue to cook until almost all of the liquid has evaporated. Deglaze the pan with the Madeira or Port Wine and cook until all liquid has evaporated. Transfer the duxelles to a small bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature.

On a lightly floured surface, cut the feuilles de brick into 18 (2") rounds and 18 (3.5") rounds. Divide duxelles between the 18 (2") rounds and top each mound of duxelles with 4 snails. Cut reserved Foie Gras into 18 pieces and place one piece on top of each mound of snails and duxelles. Using a pastry brush or your fingers, brush the edges of each 2" round with some of the beaten egg, then top each 2" round with one of the larger rounds, easing to cover snails so that the edges line up. Crimp edges closed with the tines of a fork and make a small slit in the top of each dome with the tip of a paring knife. Brush each dome with a little of the beaten egg, transfer domes to an ungreased baking sheet and chill thoroughly. Preheat oven to 400ºF and bake the domes for 14 minutes, or until golden brown and puffed. While domes are baking, make the sauce.

For the sauce:

- 1/3 cup Rendered Goose Fat*
- 1 cup minced shallots
- 2 tbsp. minced garlic
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3-3/4 cups chicken stoke
- 3-3/4 cups heavy cream

Melt the rendered Goose fat and sauté shallots until soft, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and fresh thyme and cook for 1 minute. Add chicken stock and cook until liquid has reduced to a quarter of its original volume. Add heavy cream and cook until sauce is thick and coats the back of a spoon. Season, to taste, with Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and serve with the hot escargot domes. Cover the dome with this sauce and serve immediately.

(Yield: 18 domes, 9 servings as a first course)

Aumonière d’Escargots - Escargots served with a creamy garlic sauce in feuilles de brick purses

 

- 9 feuilles de brick or (phyllo dough sheets)
- 3 tbsp. butter, melted
- 1 can of 6 doz. helix snails
- 2 tbsp. melted butter
- 1/4 cup and 1 tsp. minced garlic
- 3 cups heavy cream
- Sea salt*
- Pepper
- 5 egg yolks

Prepare the cups: Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly spray a cupcake pan with non-stick cooking spray. Cut the feuilles de brick into four pieces and brush with melted butter. Push the dough into the pan to form cups to hold the escargots.

The Filling: Preheat a sauté pan. Drain the snails. Lightly brown garlic in butter, and then add the snails. Season with salt and pepper. Add heavy cream and bring to a boil. Add the egg yolks, bring to a boil immediately turn off the heat. The sauce should be thick if it is not strain and reduce the sauce or add flour. Spoon mixture into lined cups and squeeze close top to form the purses. Bake in the oven until tops and sides are golden brown. Serve while hot garnished with chopped chives.