Lumache Alla Bresciana

Lumache alla Bresciana (Brescia-Style Snails with Garlic, Butter and Cheese)

A traditional dish from Brescia in Lombardy, where land snails are cooked low and slow with onions and garlic in plenty of butter, then finished with grated Grana Padano and a handful of parsley. In a home kitchen outside Italy, tinned or pre-cooked snails stand in for the fresh ones traditionally used.

Prep

20 min

Cook

90 min

Total

110 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) fresh cleaned land snails (lumache), already purged and cooked; see substitution note
• •100 g (3½ oz (≈7 Tbsp)) unsalted butter, good-quality, plus a little extra for the dish
• •2 whole (2 medium) yellow onions, finely chopped
• •4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• •200 ml (¾ cup + 1 Tbsp) dry white wine, a typical Italian table white
• •80 g (¾ cup grated) Grana Padano, traditionally used; Parmigiano-Reggiano also fine
• •15 g (½ cup loosely packed) flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• •1 tsp fine sea salt
• •0.5 tsp (½ tsp) freshly ground black pepper
• •4 slices country-style white bread, for serving, optional

Steps

1. 1 Ingredient note for snails: In Lombardy, large land snails (lumache/chiocciole) are purged for several days on cornmeal and herbs, then boiled in salted water until tender before being added to the pan. Outside Italy, the closest faithful substitute is about 700 g (1 lb 9 oz) of tinned snails, drained and rinsed; rinse well to remove the canning liquid. If you can find fresh pre-cleaned, pre-cooked snails, use those instead.
2. 2 Rinse the snails under cold water and drain them thoroughly. Pick through and discard any that smell off.
3. 3 Melt 80 g (about 6 Tbsp) of the butter in a wide, heavy pan or earthenware pot over medium-low heat. Add the chopped onions and a pinch of salt and cook gently for 8–10 minutes, stirring often, until soft and translucent but not browned.
4. 4 Add the chopped garlic and cook for another 1–2 minutes, until fragrant. Take care not to let the garlic colour.
5. 5 Pour in the white wine, raise the heat to medium and let it bubble for 3–4 minutes so the alcohol cooks off and the liquid reduces slightly.
6. 6 Add the snails and toss them in the buttery base for 1–2 minutes to heat through. If they look dry, splash in 60–80 ml (¼ cup) of warm water or light stock.
7. 7 Cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for about 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes, so the snails absorb the flavour of the butter and onions. If the pan dries out, add a little more water.
8. 8 Uncover, taste and adjust the salt and pepper. Stir in the remaining 20 g (about 1½ Tbsp) of butter and the chopped parsley.
9. 9 Scatter the grated Grana Padano over the snails, give one gentle stir so the cheese melts into a creamy coating, and remove from the heat.
10. 10 Serve hot, straight from the pan, with slices of country bread to mop up the buttery sauce and a simple green salad alongside.