Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 4.3bsd-beta 6/6/85; site amdcad.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!amdcad!phil 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 UUCP: {ucbvax,decwrl,ihnp4,allegra}!amdcad!phil ARPA: amdcad!phil@decwrl.dec.com