Escargot guides you through the steps which culminate in the delectable dish – from foraging, cleaning, cleansing and recycling shells, to flavoring the snails with court bouillon and prepping herb butter. To get you off to a great start, Escargot recommends wine pairings, both for cooking and imbibing.
Escargot is presented within the framework of its inception – unexpectedly from rural 1980’s Sweden – as experienced by the author, Susanne Cerha:
"The escargot dish my mother prepared has ultimately come to be the one against which I measure all others. I cannot help it. Wild snails in small quantities, hand raised and cleansed, carefully cooked with selected quality ingredients and spices – grown in our own garden – then grilled to perfection. Few can boast this experience."
Intrepid locavores will find this guide invaluable when exploring the multitude of options available when prepping escargot. The following steps are presented:
Foraging
Cleaning
Cleansing
Disgorgement
Killing and extracting
Shells as containers
Court Bouillon
Infusion
Beurre d’escargot
Assembly
Serving
Wine pairing