Escargot, or cooked snails, are a beloved French delicacy that is usually served as an appetizer. Before preparation, the snails must be purged, removed from their shells, and cooked, usually with garlic butter, chicken stock, or wine. Their tender texture and clean, woody flavors pair especially nicely with herb-infused butter - garlic, thyme, and parsley are the most common choices.
Cooked escargots can be served on toasted pieces of baguette, but they are more commonly placed back into their shells and served on an escargot plate. In that case, special snail tongs are needed to hold the shell while extracting the meat with a two-pronged snail fork.
VARIATIONS OF Escargot
MOST ICONIC Escargot
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Escargots à la Bourguignonne is a traditional dish originating from Burgundy. The dish consists of snails that are baked with garlic and butter. If using fresh snails, they should be blanched in boiling water and rinsed in clear water. The snails are then cleaned with a small brush in a mixture of water and vinegar, and rinsed again.
Many people buy canned cooked snails and then place them in empty snail shells, which can be found in most French supermarkets. They are covered with plenty of garlic butter enriched with shallots, parsley, salt, and pepper, then baked in the oven.
Once done, the snails are served immediately.
MOST ICONIC Escargots à la Bourguignonne
French for fatty liver, this decadent, expensive food product is made by using a controversial force-feeding process known as gavage, in which corn is fed to ducks and geese (primarily to the hybrid male Mulard ducks) through a feeding tube.
The livers of birds which are force-fed in this way are enlarged and full of a buttery, slightly sweet fat. Foie gras is prepared by melting the livers in their own juices with a sprinkle of salt, resulting in a supple product. Usually served chilled and in scoops or slices, the texture is similar to that of ice cream.