l6 NOTES. 



Some French methods of cooking Snails. — Preparation. — Snails 

 are at their best during the winter as at other times they are apt to 

 cause nausea, colic, or even worse ailments, unless they have been starved for a 

 week. To do this keep them in a covered jar picking them over daily and 

 rejecting dead ones. After a week's fasting they are nearly as good as in 

 winter. 



To remove the slime, put them into lukewarm water to which salt and 

 vinegar have been added. Change the water three or four times, always 

 adding salt and vinegar. Use cold water the last time. Be careful never to 

 use boiling water, as often advised, as this kills them at once and removes 

 but little slime. 



After preparing the snails as described above they may be cooked in the 

 various ways given under the following headings : — 



Fried Snails. — Place the prepared snails in boiling water aud leave them 

 until they can be easily taken from the f^hellswith a small fork i.e., for about ten 

 minutes. Then remove the gut and let them stand for some time in a mari- 

 nade composed of equal quantities of water and vinegar, flavoured with 

 minced parsley, garlic, shalot and onion, cloves, thyme, and a bay-leaf Then 

 drain them, dry on a cloth and fry in hot fat. Drain well on soft paper and 

 serve with a garnish of fried parsley. They may be dipped into a frying batter 

 if preferred, after being marinaded. 



Snails a la Poulette. — After taking the snails from their shells and 

 remo\ing the gut, put them into a saucepan with a good piece of butter aud, 

 if liked, some mushrooms. IMix a little flour with some white wine, stir in 

 the saucepan, add a little salt, pepper, parsley, garlic and cloves to your taste. 

 Stew until well reduced, when a little cream or the yolk of an egg may be 

 added. Serve with a little minced parsley sprinkled over the stew. 



Snails a la Parisienne, —This is, perhaps, the nicest way of serving 

 snails. 



After shelling them and removing the gut, replace the snails in the shells, 

 filling up the opening with good butter which has been well mixed with very 

 finely minced parsley and garlic. Arrange the shells in a shallow dish so 

 that they cannot turn over and so let the butter escape. Cook for a short 

 time in the oven and serve very hot. 



Some persons prefer to leave the gut in the snail thinking it adds to the 

 flavour, but this is a matter of opinion only and it is usually removed. 



Stuffed Snails.— Make a force-meat of all or any of the following 

 ingredients : — garlic, parsley, shalots, onions, sorrel, almonds, hazsl-nuts, 

 walnuts, sausage meat, anchovies, scraps of veal and cold fowl. These must 

 all be minced very finely and worked well with a piece of good fresh butter. 



Fill up the shells, after replacing the snails, with this mixture and cook in 

 the oven as above. 



Ragout of Snails. — After preparing them as before, put the snails into a 

 saucepan with a pat of butter, salt, pepper, very small onions, mushrooms, a 

 tiny bit of garlic, thyme, a bay leaf and half-a-glass of red or white wine. 

 Cook gently for half-an-hour. A fowl's liver, cooked and pounded is a great 

 improvement, if added at the last moment, and if white wine has been used a 

 small quantity of madeira, cognac or vermouth, will enrich the gravy. 



Florance Stephenson. 



April 30th, 1837. 



