SNAILS IN ARTICHOKE BOTTOMS

SOURCE: JACQUES PÉPIN. CHEZ JACQUES: TRADITIONS AND RITUALS OF A COOK.

The lucrative yet costly industry of raising edible terrestrial and herbivorous snails for human consumption, known as heliciculture, dates back to the ancient Roman Empire two millennia ago and derives its name from helix-shelled mollusks. Linguistically and taxonomically speaking, only members of the Helicidae family can be considered escargots. Well-cooked snail meat has a neutral taste, and its flesh absorbs whatever sauce it is accompanied with. In this recipe by Jacques Pépin, the snails take up the earthiness of mushrooms, the fruitiness of wine, and the richness of butter to make a heavenly stuffing for the first-course artichoke serving.

Ingredients

4 artichoke bottoms, freshly trimmed off its leaves OR frozen

1 cup/250 mL water

3 tablespoons/45 mL olive oil

1 tablespoon/15 mL freshly squeezed lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2 cup/50 grams button diced mushrooms

2 tablespoons/13 grams chopped scallions

2 tablespoons/20 grams chopped shallots

2 dozens/160 grams canned snails

1 tablespoon/9 grams finely chopped garlic

1/2 cup to 3/4 cup/120 mL to 180 mL dry red or white wine

4 tablespoons/60 grams unsalted butter

Chopped parsley for garnish

OPTIONAL: Toasted bread crumbs, preferably from homemade bread, for garnish

Specific Equipment

Medium-sized saucepan

Strainer

Slotted spoon

Spoon or melon baller

Large skillet or sauté pan

Small bowl

Serves 4

Instructions

1. Place the artichoke bottoms in a saucepan. Pour in water, 1 tablespoon/15 mL olive oil, and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium heat, covered. Reduce the heat to moderate and let simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat and let cool.

2. Drain out the snails over a strainer and rinse with cold running water to wash out the preservatives that were used for canning. Set aside to drain.

3. Pick up the artichoke bottoms from the cooking liquid with a slotted spoon and scoop out the choke out of each artichoke bottom with a spoon or melon baller. Discard the choke. Return the artichoke bottoms in to the cooking liquid to prevent discoloration. If using frozen artichoke bottoms, omit this step because they do not contain the choke.

4. Heat 2 tablespoons/30 mL olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté in the mushrooms, scallions, and shallots for 1 to 2 minutes.

5. Stir in the snails and garlic and season lightly with salt and pepper to taste. Sauté for 1 minute, continuously tossing everything until well-blended. Scoop the snail and mushroom mixture out of the skillet or sauté pan with slotted spoon and transfer to a small bowl to set aside.

6. Pour the red or white wine into the skillet or sauté pam to dissolve any residues that have stuck to the surface. Reduce the wine by boiling for 4 to 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove the skillet or sauté pan from heat. Stir in the butter until completely molten and well-blended into the wine mixture. Set aside.

7. Place the artichoke bottoms on a warm serving platter and fill each artichoke bottoms with equal portions of the snail and mushroom mixture, six snails in each artichoke bottom. Spoon on the sauce and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Garnish lightly with toasted bread crumbs, if desired.