Escargots de Bourgogne
Snails in garlic parsley butter
Burgundy snails baked in sizzling garlic and parsley butter
Burgundy snails in green garlic butter are the festive starter of the Côte-d'Or, eaten at Christmas and New Year all over France and in Paris brasseries year round, served by the dozen in dimpled dishes. The snails themselves taste mild and earthy and have a pleasantly firm bite; the real attraction is the sizzling butter packed with garlic, shallot and parsley, mopped up with bread. Live snails need days of preparation, so this recipe uses ready-prepared tinned or jarred snails, with clean shells or snail dishes bought separately. Chef's tip: make the butter a day ahead so the garlic flavour deepens, and pack the shells well so the butter seals the snail in.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the garlic butter
- 5 ½ oz soft unsalted butter
- 4 garlic clovescrushed to a paste
- 1 shallotvery finely chopped
- 4 tbsp flat-leaf parsleyvery finely chopped
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg (optional)
For the snails
- 24 prepared tinned or jarred snailsdrained and rinsed
- 24 clean snail shellsor use snail dishes or small ramekins
To serve
- 1 baguette (or gluten-free bread) (optional)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Beat 5 ½ oz soft unsalted butter with 4 garlic cloves, 1 shallot, 4 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper and 1 pinch ground nutmeg until evenly green. Chill it for at least an hour if making ahead.
Step 2: Heat the oven to 425°F (fan 400°F). Pat 24 prepared tinned or jarred snails dry on kitchen paper.
Step 3: Push a little of the butter into each of 24 clean snail shells, add a snail, then pack more butter on top to seal the opening. Don't skimp on this final layer: that's the usual reason the snails dry out and turn rubbery.
Step 4: Stand the shells, butter side up, in snail dishes or on a tray of crumpled foil so they don't tip over.
Step 5: Bake until the butter is sizzling and bubbling and the snails are piping hot.
8 minStep 6: Serve at once with snail tongs and forks and plenty of 1 baguette (or gluten-free bread) for the butter.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 2 g
- Fat
- 32 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does escargots de Bourgogne take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of soft unsalted butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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