Snails as part of the festive table: Try them just in time for Christmas
Café Savoy
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It might seem that snails are the preserve of French palates, but this is not the case. Snails have always been part of Czech cuisine and have been eaten across all social classes. "Snails were very popular in the 19th century, they were perceived as an old Prague speciality. Although it was mainly an urban affair, snails were also enjoyed in the countryside - shepherds prepared them on the fire. In Prague, however, it was a renowned delicacy," explains historian Martin Franc.
The consumption of snails was also linked to religious regulations: along with other cold-blooded animals, they were considered acceptable food even on fasting days. So not only fish were eaten, but also snails, frogs or turtles.
Marie B. Svobodová also cooked with snails
Recipes with snails can also be found in the legendary cookbook of Marie B. Svobodová. She used them mainly to make soups, and advises cooking them in salted water: put 2 tablespoons of salt per litre of water, boil the snails and then remove them from the shell with a skewer. Serve with sour horseradish or hot butter with a little lemon juice.
In France, snails used to be a meal for the richest of the rich; today they are credited on every restaurant menu. But the French were far from the first to breed snails. Supposedly it was the ancient Romans who kept snails in so-called cochlearien and fattened them on herbs, wine, milk or grain. At the same time, they invented the snail fork and spread special snail gardens across Europe.
Snail caviar is also popular in France. In Austria, snails were even stuffed into sausages and made into dumplings and pates. In an 1851 cookbook, snails are combined with eggs: hard-boiled eggs are split in half, the yolk is removed and the egg is filled with snail meat and spicy flavoured yolks.
Snails & herbs
Why have snails always been so popular? The meat has pleasant consistency and tastes like the herbs that snails eat. In addition, their delicate flavour pairs well with other flavours - herbs, mushrooms or vegetables. The possibilities for modifications are virtually endless.
When you say snails, most people probably think of escargots à la bourguignonne - a burgundy treatment with aromatic herb butter. Italians and Greeks, however, make pasta, risotto, polenta, and even pizza with snails. You can also grill and smoke snails, make terrine or fill ravioli with them.
What has happened to snails to make them more of a festive affair in our region today? "They disappeared from menus after the Second World War. Mainly because they were perceived as a superfluous, outdated delicacy from the old days that has no place in the new, socialist system," says Martin Franc.
Ambiente chefs have also been working with snails for several years. In Čestr, this delicacy was already on the menu when it opened. How do they work with them in the kitchen? "We used to buy two kinds of snails, all of them euthanised and cleaned. The small Müller snails are just boiled in vegetable stock for 20 minutes and that's it - they're eaten whole, even with their guts. Now we only take the big snails, which must first be steamed - the snail is put in boiling water, boiled for ten minutes and then each one is taken out of its shell separately with tweezers. The intestines (liver) are cut out and the muscle is prepared for the next treatment - it is boiled in vegetable stock for about two hours. This is then used for the espuma," explains chef Pavel Brichzin. Currently, at Čestr, they serve it with a ragout of tomatoes, root vegetables and celeriac, which they complement with mountain cheese espuma and sour mushrooms.
At Café Savoy, the snails are served without the shell, baked with garlic-herb butter and topped with a crumb of herbs and Gruyère cheese. As a guest, you'll save yourself the trouble of tongs and you won't be hunting for the "slippery pig" at the next table. They cook them in wine, with spices and herbs - thyme, rosemary, parsley stems, allspice, black pepper, juniper go well with the snails. Once the water starts to boil, turn down the heat and cook slowly for up to 4 hours (depending on whether the snails are fresh or frozen, and whether they are in their shell or not).
Recipe for snails from Café Savoy
Ingredients for about 10 servings (1 serving = 10 snails)
For the herb butter:
- 100 g butter
- 50 g shallots chopped finely
- 13 g garlic, finely chopped
- 15 g flat parsley, finely chopped
- 25 g lime zest, grated 150 ml whipped cream
- 5 g salt
For cooking the snails:
- 500 ml chicken broth
- 1 kg snail meat (snails without shells)
- 600 g onions, finely chopped
- 250 ml white wine
- 50 g garlic, finely chopped
- 10 g fresh thyme
- 2½ g bay leaves
- 10 g salt
- 2½ g allspice
For the herb breadcrumbs:
- 150 g breadcrumbs
- 25 g butter
- 2½ g fresh thyme, chopped with stems
- 15 g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 5 g fresh mint, finely chopped
- 100 g lemon zest, grated
Herb butter:
- Fry the shallots and garlic in the butter. Just lightly, not brown.
- Strain through a colander into a blender and add the parsley. Blend thoroughly. Then strain through a fine sieve back to the shallots and garlic.
- Cut the cream in half and mix with the butter, shallot and garlic mixture. Season with salt and add the lemon zest.
- Chill the finished mixture immediately in the refrigerator or freezer. When partially set, stir and chill.
Snails:
- Place all ingredients except snails in a saucepan, bring to a boil and boil thoroughly. If you get pre-cooked snails, cook them according to the instructions on the package. At Savoy, they take them raw and they need to be cooked for about 2 hours, until soft. In the meantime, you can prepare the herb breadcrumbs.
- Place them in special baking dishesand bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C for 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle each portion of snails with breadcrumbs and serve with baguette.
Herb breadcrumbs:
- Toast the breadcrumbs in butter and transfer to a blender.
- Gradually add the thyme. Then add the parsley, mint and lemon zest.
- Blend into a powder and leave on a baking sheet to dry until the next day.
Make the herb breadcrumbs a day ahead so that they dry out sufficiently.
