Escargots de Bourgogne

Escargots de Bourgogne

The classic Burgundian preparation of land snails baked in their shells with garlic-herb butter. Canned or pre-cooked snails make this a simple, deeply traditional French bistro dish at home.

Prep

20 min

Cook

12 min

Total

32 min

Serves

6 (24 snails, 4 per person)

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •24 pieces (24 snails) canned or jarred Burgundy snails, drained; vacuum-packed Escargots de Bourgogne are the practical home substitute for live land snails
• •24 pieces (24 shells) cleaned snail shells, or empty shells sold for this purpose; not needed if using a 6-cavity escargot dish
• •200 g (7 oz (about 14 tbsp)) unsalted butter, European-style high-fat butter if possible, softened
• •6 cloves garlic, finely minced
• •1 whole (1 shallot) shallot, very finely minced
• •20 g (about 1 cup loosely packed) flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, stems discarded
• •1 tsp fine sea salt
• •0.5 tsp (1/2 tsp) black pepper, freshly ground
• •1 tsp white wine, dry, optional - a Burgundian touch
• •1 pinch nutmeg, optional, freshly grated
• •1 baguette crusty bread, to serve, for soaking up the butter

Steps

1. 1 Make the garlic-herb butter: In a small bowl, mash the softened butter with the minced garlic, minced shallot, chopped parsley, salt, pepper, and the white wine and nutmeg (if using) until evenly combined. The butter should be very aromatic.
2. 2 Taste a small pinch of the raw butter and adjust salt and pepper. The butter should be clearly seasoned as it flavors the snails.
3. 3 If using an escargot plate or ramekin: drop a heaped teaspoon of the herb butter into each well. If using shells: pinch each shell closed at the opening, then use a small spoon or piping bag to pack the butter into the shell, leaving room to slip the snail in.
4. 4 Drain the snails well and pat them dry with paper towels. Place one snail into each shell or on top of the butter in each well.
5. 5 Cover each snail generously with more herb butter, pressing down so the butter seals the snail in and fills the shell or well to the brim.
6. 6 Chill the filled shells or covered escargot dish for at least 30 minutes (or up to 24 hours) so the butter firms up - this prevents the snails from drying out during baking.
7. 7 When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 220°C / 425°F. Arrange the shells in a shallow baking dish or set the escargot plate on a sheet pan.
8. 8 Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the butter is completely melted, bubbling vigorously, and starting to turn golden at the edges. The snails should be sizzling hot through.
9. 9 Serve immediately, straight from the dish, with crusty baguette, a small tong (if using shells), and a snail fork or cocktail fork. Warn guests that the shells and butter are extremely hot.