Escargot and then...???

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dragnlaw

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A friend was coming for lunch. We had decided on a very fancy dish of escargot. I had opened the can - rinsed them and was soaking them (as per instructions) when I received a text that she couldn't come! AWK!

According to most sites googled - I have three days leeway before I must use them.

LOL - she and I are special :pig: in our delights - we were making it the entree, but now - I could invite my neighbours for supper but then... should it just be an appetizer? What would be a good menu to compliment?

They are HUGE. I was originally going to serve them stuffed into mushroom caps - 3 caps with an escargot inside each would be a knife and fork meal! (That's how big they are).

Even if I stick with the escargot as the main entree, what else would I serve? - my mind is completely blank. Obviously the prerequisite bread/baguette for the butter. A green vegie (asparagus?) Just a salad? Then a sorbet to cut the richness?
 
Caslon, you should have them more often... but in a good restaurant that knows how to serve them! LOL Done right they are tender and wonderful. Overcooked they are the same as overcooked calamari - chewy, rubbery, no taste and blechh!

Yes, I serve with a baguette to soak up all the garlic butter that the escargot are served in. I make my butter with shallots, garlic (lots) and parsley.

YUMMM!
 
The first thing that comes to mind, besides the bread of course, is a classic Caesar salad. If you want a veggie, maybe roasted Brussels sprouts with a lemon vinaigrette?
 
I have had escargot twice, the first time was in Barcelona, and they were unbelievably good. I don't remember where I had them the second time -- psychological injury is probably blocking my memory. They were rather nasty.

Escargot is on my cooking bucket list. But, they scare me a bit... well actually a lot, as a cook.

I hope to learn something from this thread that will help me take that dive into the escargot deep end. LOL

CD
 
I eat them quite a bit..we do them in seasoned butter and sometimes cheese..I've also had them in wine/cream sauce on toast and on pizza..I would have something acidic like tomato salad, to help counter the fat of the butter and cheese, and cleanse your pallet..ice cold white wine never hurts either..or something sparkling..


Little story: when I first moved to Italy my in laws used to pick them off the garden vegetable plants after it rained..we collected a huge pot and cooked them in tomato sauce with lots of garlic..I ate so many that day I was literally sick of them and didn't touch them for a few years..
 
Caslon, you should have them more often... but in a good restaurant that knows how to serve them! LOL Done right they are tender and wonderful. Overcooked they are the same as overcooked calamari - chewy, rubbery, no taste and blechh!

Yes, I serve with a baguette to soak up all the garlic butter that the escargot are served in. I make my butter with shallots, garlic (lots) and parsley.

YUMMM!

If they are canned, they are already cooked, no?
 
jennyema, yes, they are already cooked.

And therein lies the tricky part. You need to reheat them all the way thru so they are nice and hot but without actually starting to overcook them.

Often the garlic/shallot butter is quite thick while assembling them. If you are using shells, you stuff a bit of butter in, then an escargot, then more butter on top. Sprinkle with cheese, if using, and heat them in the oven till the butter is bubbling (and the cheese melted).

I guess I should mention, you heat them the same as you do French Onion Souup. Once the plates are filled with your goodies, the plates should be put on a sheet then into the oven. When you remove them, same thing. Put the heated plates on another plate with padding so you don't crack them.

I use a couple of white paper towels to put between the escargot plate and the bottom plate.

I'll hopefully remember to take my pictures! and post!

I don't have the curved cup-like tongs that are available to grab the shells (remember Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman?) nor the forks. I use dessert fondue forks, LOL. and hope I don't burn my fingers on the cheese or shells if I need to grab them.

ps! the paper towels come in handy for wiping your fingers from all the garlicky butter bread you sopped up!
 
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I think the best escargot I ever had, when I was fairly young, in my teens perhaps, were prepared en croute. The top of the pastry remained crusty and flaky, but the bottom layer soaked up some of the garlicky herbed juices. It all added to the already unique texture of the snails. Delicious!
 
Well, everyone has given me plenty of ideas! In a cream sauce - in puff pastry... oh boy! Noted for the future!

So here's what's happened so far:-

Going with simple steamed asparagus. (Had some green beans but discovered they are tough as nails - blech!)

Can't use the escargot plates as both the mushrooms and escargot are too big!
Will do the stuffed mushrooms in an enameled cast iron frying pan in the oven and plate from there. You'll see the pics (if I remember!)

Their size dictates we will use knives and forks. They're not exactly one bite size! :rolleyes:

Have remembered a watermelon salad with a raspberry vinaigrette and have 'most' of the ingredients. Think it will go well. (I hope - I'm not the best at menu planning)

She's bringing dessert.
 
Caslon, you should have them more often... but in a good restaurant that knows how to serve them! LOL Done right they are tender and wonderful. Overcooked they are the same as overcooked calamari - chewy, rubbery, no taste and blechh!

Yes, I serve with a baguette to soak up all the garlic butter that the escargot are served in. I make my butter with shallots, garlic (lots) and parsley.

YUMMM!
I love snails. When we used to go to France regularly they were the first thing we had to eat on arrival. Fresh, of course, but tinned have to do nowadays in England. I'm told that the snails I see on the side wall of my house (outside, of course!) on damp evenings are the same ones that are served in France but I couldn't really be bothered with all the purging and feeding. Time I went to France again!
 
Success!

OMG! sOOO Good!!!

They were so big I was afraid they would be tough - but no worries mate!
About the only thing I could perhaps have done better was a wee tad more cheese on them.

Scrumptious!
Why is it upside down? How do I fix it?!?
I'm tired, going to bed...
 

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OMG! sOOO Good!!!

They were so big I was afraid they would be tough - but no worries mate!
About the only thing I could perhaps have done better was a wee tad more cheese on them.

Scrumptious!
Why is it upside down? How do I fix it?!?
I'm tired, going to bed...
Well, even upside down, they look wonderful! Using mushrooms as a base for the snails; perfect!

Did you prerogatives the mushrooms to rid them of some moisture? Or was that not necessary?
 
pre·rog·a·tive - a right or privilege exclusive to a particular individual or class.
sorry, but not sure what word you were looking for.
 
No, matter of fact they were soaking since Friday when I first opened them. I rinsed them well, added water and put them in the fridge. Yesterday, mid-afternoon, I drained, rinsed and added clean water again till ready to stuff.

You can see the difference in the cloudy water from the first soaking and the clear water in the second rinse.

Don't know what I'm doing wrong with these pictures. I even went into my file and turned them upside down but they still come thru upside down!
So now here is the plate upside right. Had to plug in directly to my phone turn the pic and load straight to the 'puter. Crazy!
 

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pre·rog·a·tive - a right or privilege exclusive to a particular individual or class.
sorry, but not sure what word you were looking for.

I think she meant purge? No worries.

and thanks for trying with the pic. I'll just have to remember to always keep my phone/camera upright and just not turn them before downloading. Or something... :mad:
 
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