On Thu, 04 Dec 2008 07:16:49 +1100, Welsh Dog >
wrote:

>Ok maybe not slugs... but snails are edible critters in France.
>
>Question is are 'common or garden snails' ok to eat as well?
>
>I know in principle how to prepare them, i.e. by collecting them and
>feeding them on bran for a few days to clean out their innards before
>they meet their end in a pot of boiling water... but do you *have* to
>use a specific type of snail or can any snail found in the garden be
>used??
>
>Can't say they are a particular favourite of mine, not had them for 30
>years or so, but in the past they've been ok served with garlic
>butter.

Ok... been looking this up on Google... where else... and found quite
a lot of info. Much more info than I expected to be honest.

Seems the 'European Brown' is the snail of choice and preparation is a
bit time consuming.

They have to be purged in case they've eaten snail bait or 'toxic
grasses' so you keep them in a safe container (not cardboard) for a
couple of weeks feeding them on 'safe' greens or corn meal. Change the
food each day to keep it fresh and make sure there is fresh water in
there with them too.

Then you feed them 'bran' for the last three days.

To cook, you start by boiling them for 15 or so scooping out the scum
that forms - as it would. Once the scum is gone, they're ready for
proper cooking.

Let them cool, pull them out of their shells, dice them, mix with
olive oil, garlic butter and parsley and either stuff them back into
their shells, or into mushroom caps!

Bake slowly until the butter is 'bubbly'

There ya go!! Had I not been throwing out handfuls of snail bait for
the past month I could have had a feast off the hundreds of snails
we've had in the garden for months!

Welshdog
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