Escargot with Garlic and Herb Butter
An earthy, mild delicacy, escargot is eaten in many places around the world but is often attributed to French cuisine (the word itself means “snail” in French). Special tongs for holding the shells and small two-pronged forks are typically used for digging the snails out of the shells, but a small teaspoon will do in a pinch. This recipe will make more garlic-herb butter than you need but can be reserved for many uses. Toss it with your favorite roasted vegetables, finish steaks or chicken with a slice of chilled butter, or use it as a base for a pan sauce.
Ingredients
- 2 large garlic cloves
- 1 small shallot, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup (1/4 oz./7 g) packed fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup (1/2 oz./15 g) packed fresh basil leaves
- 1/4 cup (1/4 oz./10 g) packed fresh chives
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 16 Tbs. (2 sticks) (8 oz./250 g) good French butter, at room temperature
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 6 canned snails (escargots), drained, rinsed and dried
- 6 snail shells, rinsed and dried
- French baguette, sliced and toasted
Directions
Position a rack in the upper third of an oven and preheat to 400°F (200°C).
In a food processor, add the garlic, shallot, parsley, basil and chives and process until minced. Add the mustard and butter and process until combined, stopping the food processor to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add salt and pepper to taste and process until combined. Transfer the garlic-herb butter to a piping bag and cut off the tip.
Place an escargot dish on a rimmed sheet tray. Fill a shell one-third full of the butter, slip a snail into the shell, then pipe more butter on top of the escargot. Place the snail, butter facing up, into a divot of the escargot dish. Repeat with the remaining snails.
Bake until the butter is sizzling and the escargot are warmed through, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve immediately with the toasted baguette slices and remaining garlic-herb butter alongside. Serves 2.
Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen