ACCESSORIES FOR TASTING SNAILS
Snails are a staple of French gastronomy . In order to enjoy them, many kitchen tools are available to facilitate the preparation of snails and the tasting of this typically French dish. For example, snail tongs allow you to grab and hold the hot shell straight from the oven without the risk of burning yourself or getting your fingers dirty. There are also long snail forks with two prongs to easily grab the snail from the bottom of its shell . For snail service, you can choose from several options such as the snail plate , the snail casserole , the snail cups or the traditional snail dish . All of these kitchen accessories allow you to prepare and enjoy snails in the best conditions. There are also snail sets made up of several snail accessories . Shellfish utensils are also suitable for tasting crustaceans .
BREEDING AND COLLECTION OF SNAILS
Snail collecting has been practiced for a very long time. It is an ancestral practice that can sometimes be done within the family and from generation to generation. Be careful, however, this is a protected species and rules must be respected so that it does not disappear. There are first of all two types of edible snails : the Burgundy snail, the star of our tables, also nicknamed the big white snail , and the small gray snail . Be careful, the Burgundy snail is not intended for breeding! Snails are mainly collected in woods, embankments and gardens or in ditches, often in wetlands . The best time to collect snails is in the summer, 30 minutes after a storm, in the evening or early in the morning. Be careful, you should only collect snails whose shell measures at least 4 cm. in diameter (you can use a snail ring ) and it is forbidden to pick them from April 1 to June 30 during their breeding season.
RECIPE FOR BURGUNDY SNAILS WITH PARSLEY BUTTER
The traditional recipe for Burgundy snails remains the benchmark for snail tasting : Finely chop the mushrooms, two large cloves of garlic, and a dozen well-garnished parsley sprigs. Add 250 grams of butter, a teaspoon of fine salt, and three pinches of pepper and mix everything together. Push a little of this stuffing into the bottom of each snail cup (or into the bottom of each hole on a snail casserole dish ), then place a snail inside and stuff it with your butter stuffing. Level it off with a knife so that the stuffing does not overflow over the outer edges. Place the snail cups in a dish or directly on a snail dish in the oven, opening facing up, at 270 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. When the butter begins to crackle, serve the snails very hot. Enjoy!
Find the Manufrance stoneware snail cups here and the Manufrance snail ring here
