Snails, Fried with Rosemary
Description
A delicious appetizer for any gathering. On the very first day of our vacation on the Greek island of Crete, we noticed that the menu had a very tempting wine pairing appetizer — fried snails with rosemary. When we saw it on the menu for the first time, we just joked and laughed, but then someone in our group said — what, you chicken? The ancient Greeks, after all, ate snails every day — so what are we, worse than them? In the end, it took us a few days to work up the courage, and we finally did. The hardest part was by no means trying the first snail, as you might think. The hardest part was stopping ourselves from gobbling them up :) In reality, snails are a very tasty thing, and now it doesn't seem unusual to me at all that the French consider snails a delicacy. Yes, our Russian garden snails probably aren't as tasty, but Cretan mountain snails are genuinely delicious. It's hard to find good snails in Moscow, but still, if you really want to, it's possible. So, you never know — this recipe might come in handy for you :) Serve with herbs and sauce.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
Here's what we have for an appetizer today :)
- 2
Step 2
This is how snails are sold at Greek markets. The snails are alive, so they need to be kept in a tightly closed mesh container or muslin—otherwise they’ll crawl away.
- 3
Step 3
First of all, we put our snails in a pot with water.
- 4
Step 4
Water will wake our snails. Live snails will crawl out of their shells; dead ones will not. Throw away the dead ones immediately—they are not suitable for cooking.
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Step 5
Now place the live snails directly in this same water, put them over the heat, and boil them. Yes, it's not humane—but then again, is slaughtering pigs humane?:) The snails will release foam that you need to skim off constantly.
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Step 6
Boil the snails for 10–15 minutes. Then drain the water and rinse the snails through a colander, removing any foam residue. That’s it—the snails are now prepared and ready to cook directly.
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Step 7
Sprinkle a dry skillet with salt. Place the snails in the skillet with the opening (door, window—call it what you like) facing down.
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Step 8
As soon as the snails in the pan stop sizzling (this is when we once again thoroughly get rid of any unwanted foam and film), pour olive oil into the pan. Stir.
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Step 9
Fry over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, then add rosemary and vinegar. Stir and sauté for another 2-3 minutes.
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Step 10
That's it, the snails are ready! Serve them hot, in a deep dish, together with the liquid (sauce) that accumulated in the pan.
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Step 11
The snails are ready; however, given the dish's unpopularity, I will explain how to eat them properly. Use a toothpick to extract the meat from the snail shell.
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Step 12
Remove the dark tip of the flesh (you'll notice it—it differs substantially in color and texture), and eat everything else. And don't be afraid! :)