Active Time
25 min
Total Time
30 min
The garlicky sauce in this dish is almost as delicious as the escargots themselves; it's hard to think of a better use for crusty bread than sopping up this luxurious "snail butter." But the main event is the escargots' tender texture and clean, woodsy flavor. When we ran this recipe in 1949, it took a full day's work, most of it cleaning and prepping the fresh snails. We found that canned snails work just as well and turn this appetizer into one that can be whipped up anytime.
Ingredients
Makes 4 first-course servings
Special Equipment
Preparation
Step 1
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F.
Step 2
Using a heavy knife, mince and mash garlic to a paste with 1/8 teaspoon table salt.
Step 3
Beat together butter, shallot, garlic paste, parsley, remaining 1/4 teaspoon table salt, and pepper in a small bowl with an electric mixer until combined well. Beat in wine until combined well.
Step 4
Divide half of garlic butter among snail shells. Stuff 1 snail into each shell and top snails with remaining butter. Spread kosher salt in a shallow baking dish and nestle shells, butter sides up, in salt.
Step 5
Bake snails until butter is melted and sizzling, 4 to 6 minutes. Serve immediately.
Step 6
- Available at Dean & Deluca (212-226-6800).
· The escargots can be prepared, but not baked, up to 30 minutes ahead and kept at room temperature until ready to bake. · If you don't have an escargot serving dish, serve the snails on a bed of kosher salt (to stabilize shells) on a platter.
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Reviews (16)
Back to TopLoved this recipe. I didn't have the shells, but had the plates - shells are optional.
Anonymous
Oregon
2/13/2022
The tip below swapping the white wine for brandy was a great one as well as adding chives. I added some dehydrated porcine which I blended to fine powder first. It had a really savoury hit.
Anonymous
Barnsley UK
9/8/2021
Excellent authentic recipe. As previously commented, very easy to alter slightly for personal preferences. An added Tip: Put half the butter in shell first, then escargot, and then the rest of the butter. This keeps the snail from being pushed too far in, making it difficult to retrieve when served. Additionally, the assembled escargot can be refrigerated for a day or two.....simply temper to room temperature before cooking. (This makes it very easy to prepare for a dinner party)
Sfeigenb
Deerfield Beach, FL
5/3/2021
Delicious, I add more garlic
phudung21@gmail.com
Denver, Co
2/23/2020
OMG, this is the most delicious recipe! I picked up some local (Washington grown, no shells) escargot and made the recipe as printed, except I added another clove or two of garlic and substituted chives for the parsley. Served with local Chardonnay and a crusty baguette. I fixed them in Le Creuset escargot dishes, which worked out perfectly. Absolutely wonderful! My husband said they were better than the ones we ordered in a very pricey Seattle restaurant! Will definitely make again . . . and again!
spudheidi
Vancouver, WA
12/25/2016
Delicious beginning to a French dinner. I did not have snail shells nor an escargot plate, so baked them together in a small, shallow dish, nestled in the butter mixture. I found that they needed a little more than 6 minutes to heat through. (Mine were lukewarm at 6 min... Maybe they heat faster when you use shells?) Very good with french baguette and a little truffle salt.
lschmidt
Portland, OR
1/5/2015
Absolutely the best recipe ever and so easy. I do add more garlic, then it calls for, but I am a garlic lover. Highly recommend!
Redhairedbandit
Plattsburgh, NY
8/5/2012
So simple, but so good. I increased the garlic to two cloves and used brandy instead of white wine. End result was delicious. Makes an impressive appetizer.
Anonymous
Downers Grove
2/5/2012
I used 3 garlic cloves, and gave a quick finish under the broiler, just until it bubbles; otherwise the garlic & shallots are a bit undercooked. After that... tasted like Paris.
poele
Cambridge, MA
12/13/2008
My kids loved it, and I alo found a new use for the leftover butter.. put it on bread and toast it and voila! you have great tasting garlic bread! Oh, and I didn't have kosher salt to stabilise it, and substituted it with rice, which works just as well!
Mayyoung
Singapore
6/16/2008
Fantastic basis to a superb recipe. Even if you adjusted a few of the ingredients to your taste the whole performance come up to your guests' delight!
aggybray
New Zealand
3/5/2008
It was okay. Needed much more garlic.
jacobsjd
8/13/2007
My husband and I loved this - didn't have snail shells so I put them in mushroom caps and baked them ten minutes. I might try prebaking the mushrooms for about 5 minutes next time to get some of their liquid out first. Butter mixture was great on bread also
danna622
Gettysburg, PA
8/5/2007
Can you replace the snails with scallops?
Anonymous
Aledo, Texas
12/5/2006
This was a delicious dish and easy to make. Wonderful for garlic lovers and the garlic is not overpowering.I will make it again! I may add some fresh thyme; that would add a nice flavor. This is a great recipe as is, but you could play around with fresh herbs and maybe use sherry or cognac, instead of the white wine, and still have a great dish. Placing them on a bed of grey sea salt is also a nice presentation.
kathycooksTX
Celina, TX
8/14/2006
