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From: phil@amdcad.UUCP (Phil Ngai)
Newsgroups: net.pets,net.garden,net.cooks
Subject: Re: raising snails (summary)
Message-ID: <6203@amdcad.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 13-Nov-85 03:17:02 EST
Article-I.D.: amdcad.6203
Posted: Wed Nov 13 03:17:02 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 14-Nov-85 00:49:02 EST
References: <5410@amdcad.UUCP>
Reply-To: phil@amdcad.UUCP (Phil Ngai)
Organization: AMD, Sunnyvale, California
Lines: 159
Keywords: snail recipes
Xref: watmath net.pets:1298 net.garden:827 net.cooks:5397


	I got a lot of responses to my inquiry about eating
Californian backyard snails, with quite a few requests for a summary.
Some of the information looks pretty good so I'd like to share it with
you.  Although I haven't explicitly asked for permission to repost, I
have stripped off headers and I don't think anyone will mind. Spelling
and grammer have been corrected to the best of my ability. Thanks to
everyone who wrote.

----------------------------------------------------------------
	Commercial snail growers raise them on cornmeal for a time
(two weeks, I think) before slaughtering them.  That gets rid of the
gamey taste.  You don't fry them, you sautee them.
----------------------------------------------------------------
	Someone actually gave a talk here on how to raise snails for
eating.  I forget the exact details but there are some things that I
do remember.

1. She said that you should feed them lettuce for some period of time
whose length I can't remember.  This helps flush out any nasties that
they may have eaten.

2. You should make them fast for about a week.  This is so that their
digestive system gets cleaned out (so that when you eat them you
aren't eating their fecal matter).

3. She said that you should blanch or parboil them (before using them
in your recipe) and then you can use a tiny fork to pop them out of
their shells.
----------------------------------------------------------------
	Feed 'em corn meal.  That's what they feed the slugs that get
eaten at the annual slug festival somewhere in Northern CA.  I think
you should probably feed 'em corn meal for about a week before
slaughtering the poor innocents.
----------------------------------------------------------------
	 snails (as opposed to collecting them) is actually
fairly tricky.  They get all kinds of diseases in captivity and
building an enclosure that they will thrive in while not being able to
escape is not easy.  I believe lettuce is the classic food.  I suspect
that grass is not as good.  Apparently, what you feed them makes a big
difference in the taste....
----------------------------------------------------------------
	What the French do is take snails and place them in a box with
flour on the bottom for a few days.  I wouldn't recommend doing it
with wild snails, though; they may carry parasites.  Call UC Ag
extension for RELIABLE advice...
----------------------------------------------------------------
	I looked briefly for an article I had on the subject from
Mother Earth News or somesuch about 3 years ago-no luck but if it
shows up I'll send more details.  From memory--they fed the snails
cornmeal for a few days, although they also mentioned that in France
they sometimes feed them exotic leaves such as tarragon (presumably
you spice your escargot thoroughly in this manner).
----------------------------------------------------------------
	Having lived in a neighborhood where snails were abundant and
money was not, our neighbors (no I did not try this but I watched
them!)  used to put the snails in cornmeal filled aquariams.
Apparently, snails like cornmeal and it gets rid of the bad stuff.
----------------------------------------------------------------
	Hi.  I just read your request for information concerning the
preparation of snails in net.cooks.  The food section of the San Jose
Mercury News, dated 21 August 1985, is practically devoted to this
topic (well, two or three articles).

Basically, what you want to do is to keep the snails in a fine mesh
cage and feed them cornmeal and chopped lettuce or other greens until
they are about 1 to 1-1/2 inches in didameter.

When you're ready to eat them, the snails must be purged.  To do this
place about 1/2 inch of damp cornmeal in the bottom of a container
(plastic box, metal pan, etc.).  Then place the snails in the
container and cover it with a ventilated top (cheesecloth or nylon
netting).  Keep the container in a cool, shady area and let the snails
purge themselves by eating the cornmeal for at least 72 hours.

If you want to keep them in their container longer, replace the
cornmeal every other day.  Use only active snails, discard inactive
ones.  Wash the snails throughly to remove the cornmeal.

The following recipe gets the snails to the point you find when you
buy canned snails.  These, of course, are fresher and not rubbery.

BASIC SNAIL PREPARATION

8 dozen live purged snails
2 carrots, sliced
1 onion, stuck with 4 whole cloves
2 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1/2 bottle dry white wine
1 bunch fresh thyme
1 bunch fresh parsley
4 stalks celery with leaves
1 tablespoon coarse salt
20 grinds of a pepper grinder

Wash live snails and place in a pot.  Cover with cold water and  bring
to a boil.  Remove snails and rinse in cold water.  Using a tweezer,
remove snails from shells.  Wash snails again in cold water and drain.

Place in heavy, non-aluminum pot and add the rest of the ingredients.
Add enough water to cover ingredients, and a quarter more.  Bring
slowly to a simmer, skim the scum that rises to the surface.  Cook
partially covered for 2-1/2 to 4 hours depending on the size of the
snails (a 4 hour snail will have a shell the size of a 50 cent piece).
Snails will be tender when done.

Cool snails in the cooking liquid and use in any snail recipe.
----------------------------------------------------------------
	The Joy of Cooking says:

"Only snail types that are sealed in their opercula before hibernating
are edible. If your snails are less privileged than the Roman ones, be
sure to let them fast for about 10 days to get rid of any possible
poisons they may have imbibed..."

X says that she's heard that feeding the little buggers corn meal
for that period of time will flush it out [and probably make 'em taste
a little better]. She also says "I've eaten snails and they have the
consistency of snot." I have also eaten them and I like garlic butter
so I don't care. It's more rubbery than snot (I am the veteran of many
a stupid little cold or allergy when I was an urchin). In any case,
you can probably boil the little buggers for a few minutes.

"Before cooking, scrub and remove the membrane which closes them.
Place in water to cover and add 1/2 cup salt or 1/4 cup vinegar for
every 50 snails. Change the water several times during this 3 to 4
hour soaking. then rinse in several waters until the slime is removed.
Blanch a\` blanc, page 493, 8 minutes. [can't quite find it, but this
looks like it: 1qt boiling water, 2tbs lemon juice, (2tbs water, 1tbs
flour &opt 3tbs chopped suet) (&opt an onion stuck with cloves,
celery, carrot or leek. multiply as necessary, of course.] After
draining from the cold water, place the snails in a court bouillon to
over, made with: 1/2 water or stock and 1/2 white wine seasoned with:
a boquet garni [3 or 4 sprigs parsley or chervil, 1/8 to 1/2 bay leaf,
2 sprigs fresh thyme &opt 1 leek, white portion only, &opt 2 cloves.
Place them inside several celery stalks and bind tightly with a white
string.], an onion stuck with cloves, two cloves garlic. Simmer gently
for 3 to 4 hours, depending on the size of the snails. After cooling
in the court bouillon, drain. Remove snails from shells. Cut off and
discard the black end.  Dry the snails and shells in a cloth. Place a
dab of Snail Butter in each shell. [3/4cup butter, 1-2tbs minced
shallots, 1-2 well crunched garlic cloves &opt 1tbs minced celery, 1
tbs minced parsley, 1/2tsp salt, freshly ground pepper] Replace the
snails. Pack them firmly in the shell, so generously covered that only
the lovely green herbed butter is visible at the opening. You may
chill the snails for later use or bake them at once on a pan lightly
sprinkled with water in a 425F oven just long enough to get them
piping hot - a matter of a few minutes only. Have ready heated,
grooved, snail dishes. The shell holder has a spring in the handle
which allows you to regulate its viselike end to the size of the
snail. The long, closely tined fork is used with a slight twist to
remove the snail.
-- 
 The California Lottery may be a tax on the stupid, but at least
 some of the proceeds are used for education.

 Phil Ngai +1 408 749-5720
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