Why Do the French Eat Snails? The Escargot Tradition

Cooking snails

Snails were highly prized by peasants, who were free to gather them as opposed to hunting, which was forbidden. Besides, there was rarely a shortage of them in the countryside. 

• In France: The most traditional preparation is to serve them with beurre d'escargot, a mixture of butter, parsley and shallot, originally from Burgundy. They can also be found in cassolettes.
• In Italy: They are often eaten with a mint-scented tomato sauce.

Nutritional benefits

• Snails are rich in omega3 fatty acids.
• Although they are relatively high in calories, they are not fatty, making them an interesting dish for those looking to eat a balanced diet.

Snail recipes: 

Discover our snail recipes / Photo chosen by monsieurdefrance.Com: depositphotos

1 Snails "à la Bourguignonne" (with Butter)

Ingredients

• 24 snails (fresh or canned, well drained)
• 100 g soft butter (at room temperature)
• 3 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley (chopped)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• (Optional) A few finely chopped shallots

Preparing the snails with snail butter

1. Preparing the flavored butter:
   In a bowl, combine the butter, garlic, parsley (and shallots, if using). Season with a little salt and pepper. You'll end up with a fragrant snail butter.

2. Assembly:

   • If you have snail shells, place a small amount of flavored butter in each shell, insert a snail, then cover with a little butter.
   • Alternatively, place the snails in an ovenproof dish, spacing them slightly apart, and cover generously with butter.

3. Cooking:
   Preheat your oven to 200°C. Place the snails in the oven for around 10 to 12 minutes, until the butter bubbles and releases all its aromas.

4. Serving:
   Serve immediately with slices of fresh baguette to savor the snail butter.

Snails cooked with snail butter / Photo chosen by monsieurdefrance.com: jonnysek via depositphotos

2 Snails "à la provençale" : 

Ingredients

• 24 snails (previously cooked, fresh or canned, well drained)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 400 g crushed tomatoes (or 3 ripe fresh tomatoes, diced)
• 1/2 glass dry white wine (optional)
• 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence.
• A few sprigs of fresh parsley, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preparing the snails à la Provençale

1. Fry the garlic and onion
   In a large frying pan or sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the minced onion and chopped garlic, then sauté gently for about 3-4 minutes, until soft and slightly translucent.

2. Add the tomatoes
   Stir the crushed tomatoes into the pan. If you're using fresh tomatoes, let them cook for a few minutes so that they break down and form a sauce. Simmer for about 5 minutes.

3. Deglaze (optional)
   Pour the dry white wine into the pan and reduce the sauce for a further 3 minutes. This will add a tangy, fragrant note to the preparation.

4. Integrate snails and herbs
   Then add the snails to the sauce. Sprinkle with herbes de Provence, salt and pepper to taste. Mix gently to coat the snails without damaging them.

5. Simmer
   Simmer over low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until the snails have absorbed the sauce's aromas.

6. Finishing and serving
   Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley just before serving. Enjoy these snails à la Provençale piping hot, accompanied by slices of farmhouse bread to savor all the sauce.

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