Snails with garlic butter and Gorgonzola

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Dominic Chapman's classic snails with garlic butter recipe features a heady garlic butter which the snails are cooked in before serving. Topped with crispy garlic breadcrumbs and Gorgonzola cheese, this makes a rich starter and is a great way to try eating snails. You will need 4 snail dishes, cast iron dishes with holes for the snails to sit in, to serve this recipe.

First published in 2016

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Snails

Garlic butter

To serve

Equipment

  • Food processor
  • Snail dish 4

Method

1
Begin by preparing the stock for the snails. Add the butter and oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and place over a medium heat. Allow the butter to melt and brown for a few minutes
2
Add the pancetta to the pan and cook until golden brown all over, then stir in the carrots, shallots, onions and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are evenly caramelised
3
Mix in the snails and thyme, then pour the contents of the pan into a colander to drain any excess cooking fat from the pan. Place the empty pan back on the heat and deglaze with the vinegar and wine
  • 24 snails
  • 10g of thyme
  • 50ml of sherry vinegar
  • 200ml of white wine
4
Allow the liquor to reduce down for a few minutes to create a glaze, then return the snails, pancetta and vegetables to the pan from the colander
5
Pour over the stock to cover the snails and bring the mixture up to the boil. Skim the surface to remove any impurities, then reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 1½ hours, or until the snails are tender
  • 2l chicken stock
6
Meanwhile, make the garlic butter. Mix together the butter, garlic and parsley in a bowl until evenly combined. Season to taste and store in the fridge until needed
7
For the garlic breadcrumbs, place the bread in a food processor and blend to create even crumbs
  • 1/2 loaf of white bread, crusts removed and sliced
8
Melt the butter in a large pan, then add the breadcrumbs and garlic. Fry for a few minutes, moving the crumbs around in the butter until golden and crisp
9
Line a tray with kitchen paper and place a sieve over the top. Tip the golden crumbs into a sieve, allowing any excess oil to drain away. Allow to cool and reserve until serving
10
Remove the cooked snails from the stock and allow to cool, discarding the remaining stock
11
When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 5
12
Fill the cavities of 4 snail dishes with the garlic butter and push a snail into each. Chop the Gorgonzola into small chunks and place a piece on top of each snail. Place in the oven for 5 minutes, or until hot and bubbling
13
Remove from the oven and scatter other the garlic breadcrumbs and chopped chives. Serve immediately with slices of toasted sourdough on the side
  • 1 bunch of chives, chopped
  • sourdough bread, toasted
First published in 2016

Dominic Chapman's passion for food is in the blood: his family has owned and run the highly acclaimed Castle Hotel in Taunton for over 60 years.

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