ESCARGOTS À LA BOURGUIGNONNE

Serves 8
Preparation and cooking time: 30-40 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
80-100 large snails (10-12 per person)
300g (10½oz) parsley
20g (¾oz) tarragon
500g (1lb) butter
7g (¼oz) salt
4g (1/8oz) pepper
½ tsp mixed spice
30g (1oz) garlic, finely chopped
30g (1oz) spring onions, chopped
2 tbsp white wine
Crusty baguette, to serve

METHOD: Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Remove the snails from their shells. Chop the parsley and tarragon finely, then combine with all the other ingredients (except the snails) in a bowl to make a thick paste. Place a small spoonful of this mixture into each shell. Return the snails to their shells, then add another spoonful of the butter mixture on the top. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes in a baking dish. Serve immediately with a crusty baguette to mop up the excess butter.

TIP If you don’t have a snail-serving dish (only a dedicated escargot fan would), use butter to ‘glue’ the snails to the plate.

Recipe courtesy of From the Source – France, (Lonely Planet, £19.99)

Originally published in issue 122 of FrenchEntrée Magazine