Snails Bourguignonne, Maison

By corlear

Ingredients

• 40 snails
• 1 quart cold water
• 2 cups wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon salt

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

Wash the snails; remove protective membranes at the opening; wash thoroughly again and drain. Repeat washing several times. Cover with a mixture of 1 quart cold water, the vinegar and salt. Let stand for 2 hours.

Drain; rinse snails in cold water; then drop into 2 quarts rapidly boiling water. Let stand for 6 minutes, drain. Remove snails from shells; take the black tips off their tails. Replace snails in their shells. Cook in enough court bouillon to cover with one inch of liquid above the top of the snails. Simmer over low heat for 3 hours. Let snails cool in the cooking liquid.

Combine wine, shallots, herbs and mushrooms in a saucepan. Heat to boiling and cook until reduced by a half. Strain mixture through a fine sieve. Thicken it with the whipped butter and flour. Stir and boil for 3 minutes; add the 10 tablespoons of butter and the cayenne. Let cool.

When the butter sauce is ready, remove the cooled snails from their cooking liquid and take them from their shells. Fill bottom end of each shell with some of the butter sauce. Return the snails to their shells; close shells with some of the butter mixture. Press well into the shell. Lay snails in 4 shallow baking dishes. Add about 3 tablespoons water to each dish. Sprinkle snails with remaining butter mixture and dry bread crumbs. Place in hot oven (425° F.) for about 8 minutes, or until the snails are very hot and the crumbs lightly browned. Serve at once.