Baden Snail Soup - Badische Schneckensuppe

[Rocket_J_Dawg]

Our local European shop finally got in some good French snails. Although canned, they are the recommended ones from our friend Chef Uwe Werner, who gave me this recipe on his retirement. I grabbed two cans as they only seem to come in twice a year and go quickly.

It's a famous soup from Mrs D's neck of the woods.

75g butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
125g onion, finely chopped
1 leek, finely chopped (whites only)
2 doz escargot snails, cut in half
100g fresh mushrooms, chopped
1 bunch parsley, stems removed and finely chopped,
500ml chicken broth
250ml white wine
200ml heavy cream
200ml heavy cream, whipped slightly
Juice of 1 lemon
2 egg yolks, beaten
30ml brandy
Pinch of nutmeg (optional)
Salt & pepper to taste

Melt butter in a soup pot.
Add garlic, onion, leek, mushrooms and snails. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.
Add chicken broth, bring to the boil, reduce heat and allow to simmer for another 5 minutes.
Add white wine, 200ml cream and brandy and allow to simmer for another 3 or 4 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper and the lemon juice.
Mix 200ml whipped cream and egg yolks together. Very slowly, drizzle in about 100ml of the soup to the whipped cream/egg yolk mixture whisking rapidly. Add to soup along with the chopped parsley and the nutmeg and stir to combine. Stir at a very low simmer until the soup thickens. Do not boil.
Serve immediately.


An optional way to serve is to ladle the soup into oven proof bowls, and sprinkle grated Gruyere cheese and brown lightly under a broiler.

 

[taxlady]

Sounds tasty.

 

[Dawgluver]

Sounds good, RJ! I have a can of snails I'd been wondering what to do with, thanks!

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Sounds good, RJ! I have a can of snails I'd been wondering what to do with, thanks!

Go fishing?

 

[Dawgluver]

Go fishing?

I take it you are not fond of snails....

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I take it you are not fond of snails....

I enjoyed them when I had them many years ago...now I am not so sure.

 

[Rocket_J_Dawg]

I suppose you could leave out the snails and double up on the mushrooms.

 

[Roll_Bones]

Never had snails, but I am up for anything new. I would try it, in a second.

 

[Dawgluver]

Never had snails, but I am up for anything new. I would try it, in a second.

Snails are very good, like a really chewy mushroom, with a mild flavor. Great with garlic butter too.

 

[CharlieD]

I did not always keep kosher and in that life I've tasted many disgusting things, BUt snails are just too much even for my imagination, brrrr

 

[Steve Kroll]

I love escargot... but it just simply proves that, with enough butter and garlic, practically anything can be made edible.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I love escargot... but it just simply proves that, with enough butter and garlic, practically anything can be made edible.

+1 Exactly right!

 

[cave76]

I love escargot... but it just simply proves that, with enough butter and garlic, practically anything can be made edible.

I always avoided eating snails because of all the times I stomped on them in the garden!

But one night, as a nice restaurant in San Francisco where we were regulars and enjoyed a good rapport with the waiters, kidded with them etc. I told our waiter that I was ready to try escargot---- finally.

Big mistake---- for after waiting for what we thought was too long we asked the waiter if there was a problem. He said----- I'm sorry, but the cook is out back looking for some! GAG!

But I valiantly ate them when the did come and liked them but haven't had them many times since.

 

[Mad Cook]

I did not always keep kosher and in that life I've tasted many disgusting things, BUt snails are just too much even for my imagination, brrrr

Once cooked they aren't flabby and slimy. I've eaten them many times and enjoyed them but only in garlic butter. Really I think it's the garlic butter that I like best.

I have to admit the thought of snail soup reminds me of an old folk recipe for curing a sore throat with slimy snail juice - IIRC the snails were kept in water until they exuded all their slime which then had to be drunk by the sufferer.. I probably won't try the soup

 

[Rocket_J_Dawg]

Once cooked they aren't flabby and slimy. I've eaten them many times and enjoyed them but only in garlic butter. Really I think it's the garlic butter that I like best.

I have to admit the thought of snail soup reminds me of an old folk recipe for curing a sore throat with slimy snail juice - IIRC the snails were kept in water until they exuded all their slime which then had to be drunk by the sufferer.. I probably won't try the soup

In all honesty, when ever I have had the soup it's really hard to tell the difference between the snails and the mushrooms. But then again, by the time we get our soup in a Gashof, we are normally on our third beer.

 

[CharlieD]

For the same reason, I do not like some slymi mushrooms

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Discuss Cooking mobile app

 

[ShellyCooks]

I just stomped on several this morning. They were nice and big and juicy from munching on the lettuce in my veggie garden!!? That's as close as I get to snails.

 

[taxlady]

That's a mental image I didn't need.

 

[Dawgluver]

I thought the same thing

 

[GotGarlic]

Me three.