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L'escargots


ian

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Snails or l'escargots, call them what you will but I love the little creatures and have cultivated some in the past. Can anyone advise where the best part of France is for commercial production of snails? Does anyone know a snail farmer who could advise?
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Ian

For the new year I was with friends in Cavaliere, one of the uncles prepared the snails and I was very interested in what he did. Basically, he has all the shells (empty) these are cleaned after every 'meal'. He then buys the snails (shell-less) from a cultivator (not sure of the name) but the snails are already cleaned etc.He then puts the cleaned snails, and all the garlic sauce inthe shells and cooks them. And very tasty they were..........but I was glad someone else cleaned all the shells afterwards.[Www]

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We clean ours in the dishwasher (shells I mean)!  We get the tinned snails and put them in the shells with garlic and parsley butter.

Henry (OH)  loves 'em - I think they're OK but just a good excuse to consume masses of garlic butter and baguette (I need an excuse).

Anyhow it's Valentine's Day today - another good excuse to get some champagne down my neck.  We have a bottle of rose Cava to celebrate tonight - what is everyone else drinking/eating on this most romantic of soirees?  (we don't drink the rest of the year as you might know [blink] [+o(]).

Pix

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we visited this place as part of a "dimanche à la ferme" july 2006 (Jura/Doubs.) The  proprieter was giving a long talk to some interested visitors and we were getting the general gist of it. There seem to be a few producers locally so It might be worth contacting him or even staying at his auberge and seeing his set up in "action"  I hope posting links is OK

http://www.valdamour.com/index.php3/id_structure/326/page/detail/type/608

 

seems like a laid back occupation

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Update, have asked in my 'local'.

Told that the best snails in France are 'petit grisét'...............;from provence, this may be local pride however[:)]

and a producer of snails is called a 'Escargotière', basicaly, a 'snailery.

As for valentines day, sorry pixie valerie, but I think there are twelve months in the year to do things romantic with your 'loved one', so why wait till 14 Fevrier[geek]

do it more often........................enjoy the 'bubbly'[kiss]

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[quote user="artsole"]

As for valentines day, sorry pixie valerie, but I think there are twelve months in the year to do things romantic with your 'loved one', so why wait till 14 Fevrier[geek]

[/quote]

And in the words of CSN&Y

"And if you can't be with the one you love
It's alright
Go ahead and love the one, love the one, love the one your with
Love the one, love the one, love the one your with"

Remembering that this year there's an extra day on which to do it.

John

 

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Hi Ian

when I was a student I farmed my own snails.  The standard Welsh (or British) garden snail is the same species as the culinary French snail - the petit gris.

As I lived in moist west Wales it was easy for me to collect snails from snaily hiding places - my keen gardening neighbours on either side did the same for me.

You then put them in a container, with air holes and purge their system with a clean diet -   Carrot works well and fresh rosemary is particularly good - plus clean water for 4-6 days ... their poo changes colour as they clean out.

then you are ready to go.  The Rosemary infused ones work very well in a traditional Valencian paella.

Organic, free and tasty protein ... free range except for their last few days.

(I just buy them from the shops now!)

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