One of my favorite dishes in the whole world is escargot bourguignon. When I was a little kid and my dad took me to France for the first time, I would eat it at every meal. The best part was all that garlic butter and the bread soaking it all up — and the earthy taste of the snail itself. When I started playing around and making this dish at home, and as I got older, I realized one of my favorite ways to eat it was actually over pasta.
Technique tip: For this recipe it's best to use shelled snails.
Ingredients
BREADCRUMBS
1/4 pound day-old Italian bread, torn into small chunks
1/4 cup Italian parsley leaves, minced
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1 small clove garlic, finely grated
salt and freshly ground black pepper
SNAILS
1 pound dry angel hair pasta
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
8 cloves garlic, finely grated
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots
32 par-cooked Peconic Escargots (shelled)
1/2 cup minced fresh herbs (such as tarragon, parsley, savory, chives)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, or more to taste
8 tablespoons butter, cut into small cubes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preparation For the breadcrumbs: Preheat the oven to 375 F. In a food processor, pulse the bread until broken down. Then pulse with the parsley, olive oil, zest and garlic until coarse crumbs form. Season with salt and pepper, then spread on a large rimmed baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden and crisp; let cool. Set aside.
For the snails:
1. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and preheat a large skillet over medium heat and add the oil. When oil is aromatic and rippling, add the garlic and shallots, and sauté until just beginning to caramelize.
2. Push the shallot mix to the sides, raise heat to high and add the butter. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the butter is nut brown in color and aromatic. Add the snails and cook for a minute or two.
3. Add the lemon and herbs, toss and cook for a second or two. Swirl the pan and set aside.
4. Add some salt to the boiling water, cook the pasta until al dente. This only takes a few minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta water and raise the heat under the snails to high.
5. Add the pasta water to the sauce and back up. Add the reserved pasta to the pan and toss to coat in the sauce. Season with salt and ground white pepper.
To serve: Divide the pasta amongst 4 plates. Divide sauce and snails over pasta. Serve, garnished with the breadcrumbs.