2 lb land snails
1 water
1 salt
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup lemon juice
Serves 6 to 8.
1. There is a small membrane, known as an operculum, at the
opening of each snail. Use a toothpick to remove this membrane and
it will come off easily. 2. Place the snails in a basin and rinse
thoroughly with cold water. Drain and rinse once more in cold water
that contains a generous amount of salt.
Rinse once more in cold water before cooking.
3. Add four quarts of cold water to a kettle and add the snails and
about three tablespoons salt.
Bring slowly to a boil and simmer six minutes, stirring
occasionally. 4. Meanwhile, place the garlic and one teaspoon of salt
in a small, heavy bowl. Crush the garlic with a pestle or the back
of a heavy spoon to make a paste. Add the oil, pepper (to taste),
lemon juice, and six tablespoons cold water.
Stir with a whisk to blend. 5. Drain the snails and serve hot
with the sauce cold. Note: To eat the snails, pull out the meat
with a pick and dip them one at a time in the sauce. The whole snail
may be eaten, although the most fastidious prefer to skip the soft
after end of the meat, which is the digestive tract.
[From "The New York Times International Cookbook."]
Serves: 6
Recipe Categories: Appetizer
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