Snails Florentine Recipes

SCALLOPS FLORENTINE

Steps:

• In a nonstick skillet, combine 4 tablespoons water, wine or broth, garlic, salt, tarragon and pepper. Bring to a boil; add scallops. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 2-3 minutes or until scallops are opaque. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside., In a small bowl, combine flour and milk until smooth; stir into pan juices. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat; stir in cheese. , Return scallops to the pan; cook for 1-2 minutes or until heated through. Meanwhile, place the spinach and remaining water in a microwave-safe dish; cook on high for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes or until slightly wilted. Drain well. Serve scallop mixture over warm spinach.

SNAIL TARTLETS

Steps:

• Drain and rinse snails. Place in a saucepan with wine, water, onion, peppercorns, bay leaf and salt to taste. Bring to a boil and simmer 10 minutes. Set aside to cool in the broth.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Combine flour and one teaspoon salt in a bowl or in the work bowl of a food processor. Mix with a fork or by turning the machine on and off once or twice.
• Add all but two tablespoons of the butter in small pats and blend, using a pastry blender, a fork or two knives, or by using a pulse mechanism of a food processor, until the butter is the size of small peas. Add the ice water a little at a time, mixing lightly until a ball of dough can be formed. With a food processor, add the water through the feed tube. You may need less water if you use a food processor.
• Roll out the dough and cut three-inch circles to fit tiny tartlet tins, each about one-and-three-fourths inches in diameter. Tuck pastry into the molds, prick the bottoms, then bake for about six minutes, until the pastry looks dry but has not colored. Remove pastry from oven.
• Drain snails. If they are very large, coarsely dice them.
• Melt remaining two tablespoons of butter in a skillet, add the garlic and saute over low heat until the garlic is tender but not brown.
• Add the snails and cream and cook, stirring for a few minutes. Stir in parsely and season to taste with salt. Remove from heat and stir in the milk.
• Beat the eggs. Stir into the snail mixture. Spoon this mixture into the tartlet pans, distributing the pieces of snail evenly among them.
• Place in the oven, reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake about 20 minutes until lighly browned.
• Cool briefly then serve or prepare in advance and reheat for 10 minutes in a 400 degree oven before serving.

SNAILS, SICILIAN STYLE

Steps:

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

SNAILS IN A WHITE BUTTER SAUCE WITH HERBS (ESCARGOTS AUX FINES HERBES)

Steps:

• Prepare the snails and set them aside.
• Remove the core from the lettuce. Wash the leaves well. Drain well. Stack the leaves and cut them into very thin shreds. There should be about eight cups loosely packed. Set aside.
• Heat two tablespoons of the butter in a skillet and add the lettuce. Cook, stirring, until wilted.
• Combine the shallots, wine and vinegar in a saucepan. Bring to the boil. Cook over high heat until most of the liquid is evaporated.
• Cut the remaining four tablespoons of butter into cubes.
• Stir the shallots with a wire whisk and cook over low heat while adding the butter, two or three cubes at a time. Continue stirring vigorously until all the butter is added. Add the anchovy paste, tarragon, chives and basil.
• Heat the tomato about five seconds in a hot skillet, stirring. Add it to the butter sauce.
• Reheat the lettuce. Spoon an equal portion on top of each toast rectangle. Arrange three snails neatly on the lettuce. Spoon the sauce over each serving and serve.