According to legend, in ancient times, the snails (Escargots) in Bourgogne nibbled the young leaves and grape fruits, causing huge losses to the wine industry. The wine farmers hate snails to the bone, and they have a whim, and cooperate with chefs to catch snails and make various snail dishes, the most famous of which is “Burgundy Baked Snails”.
The usual practice for this dish is to add chopped garlic and coriander to the cream, mix well, stuff it into the snail shell, and bake it in the oven (there is also a way to cook all the seasoning and snail meat before cooking stuffed back into the snail shell).
French people make snails in a variety of ways, such as French baked snails, onion fried snails, braised snails, palace explosion snails, etc. They can consume more than 300 million snails in a year, which shows that the French really love snails deeply. In fact, snails were just an ordinary home-cooked dish at first. Later, the famous French chef Marie-Antoine Careme coated the surface of Burgundy snails with basil, garlic and butter, and then baked them in the oven. world status.
Among them, there are two native French varieties of pot cattle that are the first choice in the hearts of gourmets, and they are also the ingredients used in top French restaurants. Its wonderful taste has made French snails an indispensable classic dish, and later it has jumped on the tables of various important banquets, becoming a symbol of taste and wealth.
Wild Burgundy snail (Escargots de Bourgogne) is a native species of France, mainly produced in France, Italy and other countries. The shell is large and the meat is smooth and tender. The most common place to be seen is in the grape fields. Later, due to over-catching, the government listed it as an endangered species. In addition to setting a ban on fishing, it also stipulated that snails with a diameter of less than three centimeters should not be caught.
Another French native species is Petit Gris, which is distributed in temperate climate zones, including France, Chile, the United Kingdom and other countries. Currently, artificial breeding is the main method, but due to the high demand, it is still in short supply. , have to rely on foreign imports.
There is only one thing to pay attention to when choosing the snails into the dish, that is to choose the snails with the hard edges of the shell. In the last 6 months to 1 year of snail farming, it should not be allowed to eat vegetables, but only flour, which the French call “Snail Ramadan”. If the edges of the snail shells still break easily, the Ramadan process is not well done. Snails that do not eat flour will taste bitter in the meat. On the contrary, snails that have eaten flour will make the meat very delicious.
Snail is a hermaphroditic mollusk, its flesh is thick and soft, rich in nutrients. The pure natural breeding of French snails makes it easier to digest and absorb, helping the human body to increase vitality.
Burgundy baked snails are considered a delicacy in the world. After eating the meat, you can pour the sauce in the shell onto a plate and eat it with bread. Eat Burgundy baked snails, best paired with Burgundy wines. Since this dish is usually served as an appetizer, it also goes well with sparkling wines such as Champagne.
Since French snails have long been a part of French life, there is a huge demand every year, but due to the use of chemical agents, the ecological environment has been destroyed, the number of wild snails has become less and less, the artificial reproduction speed can not keep up with the market demand, and the price is gradually rising. Climbing, from a price that ordinary people can afford, to a delicacy that only the upper class can afford.
With a long history and scarce raw materials, snails have become more and more valuable in France, and eventually become a delicacy that can only be enjoyed by rich people on grand occasions, and upgraded to become the “national dish” of France .
French snails are usually served in the form of appetizers. The most common cooking method is baking. Other methods such as frying and stir-frying are also delicious. Among them, baked snails are the most popular among the public. Pass. The firm meat has a chewy texture. The combination of garlic and butter can not only increase the aroma, but also make the taste more smooth, and the fragrant cheese enhances the overall flavor, making it difficult to stop after one bite.
Some restaurants remove the meat from the shell before cooking, then remove the inedible digestive system, wash it, and put it in water mixed with vinegar and salt for post-processing and cooking, and it’s easy to eat with a fork when serving. However, some restaurants will cook directly with the snails in their shells.
Therefore, the French also have special tools for digging out snail meat. Snails need to be equipped with pliers and a double-toothed fork. When eating, hold the snail shell with tongs in your right hand, and pick out the snail meat with a fork in your left hand. There is no special etiquette for eating snails, but it is best to eat snails while they are hot, so that the snail meat will be easier to remove from the shell, otherwise it may take some effort.
Of course, with the skillful use of pliers and a fork, even a shelled animal like a snail can eat with grace, like the exaggerated scene of the flying snail performed by Julia Roberts in the movie “Pretty Woman”, in France Almost never in restaurants.
In addition to snail meat, the snail sauce made of snail eggs is also very popular. It tastes fresh and tender, with a little crispness. The taste is not inferior to that of caviar. The price of 120 grams of the brand is nearly RMB 2,200, which is staggeringly expensive.
