From the time of Apicius, author of "De Re Coquinaria", which can be considered the first gastronomic guide in history to Pellegrino Artusi in "Science in the kitchen and the art of eating well", snails have always had a special place on gourmet tables.
The Italian gastronomic tradition wants every Italian region to have at least one dish of snails. It is no coincidence that for a long time snails were considered a poor ingredient, free of charge but rich in protein. Then in recent years, snails have experienced another era, thanks to gourmet cuisine that has made them protagonists in an innovative guise.
Arcenni Tuscany from which we obtained the recipe for the very delicate Risotto with leeks that we offer to the readers of Mondo Food suggests first washing the snails carefully with warm water to wake them up and wait for them to come out of the shell, helping them with the removal of the operculum (the cap covering the buccal opening of the snail).
How to prepare snails
When they are fully awake, a solution of water, vinegar and salt must therefore be prepared (for each kg of snails it is advisable to use 5 liters of water, half a glass of white wine vinegar and 2 tablespoons of salt) in which I immerse the snails alternating vigorous movements with short breaks to let them rest.
During this washing it will be normal - Arcenni experts warn - to notice residues in the water container, with this operation the snails emit abundant drool, for this reason the solution must be changed several times until it is clear. Usually 2 or 3 washes lasting 10 minutes each are required. When finished, wash the snails with running water.
This operation has the purpose of preparing the snails for the subsequent cooking, eliminating the residual slime and flavoring the meat. Then put the snails in a pot with water (5 liters of cold water is recommended for every kg of snails). Heat slowly for a few minutes, then increase the heat.
Add salt and herbs (onion, celery, carrot, sprigs of rosemary, mint and bay leaves), bring to the boil and cook for at least 40 minutes. While boiling, remove the slime with the help of a slotted spoon.
Drain the snails and pass them under running water to cool them down. Now you can proceed according to the desired recipe or freeze them if you prefer.
If you want to cook with the shell, remove the snails with damaged shells. If the recipe calls for cooking the snails without their shells, proceed first with the shelling by removing the part of the tortiglione (final curl) and rinsing the pulp one last time with water and lemon.
The recipe for snail risotto with leeks
Ingredients
150 g of shelled boiled snails or 1 Arcenni Tuscany “Chiocciole Pronte” 200 g jar,
200 g of rice,
60 g onion cream,
500 g white stock of veal,
100 g butter, 100 g Parmesan,
100 g chopped parsley,
40 g extra virgin olive oil,
50 g white leek, broth,
Salt to taste
Method
Boil and shell the snails or open the jar. Clean the leeks and cut them into slices, stew them in a drizzle of oil with half a ladle of broth.
For the onion cream: cook two onions over low heat with half a liter of water and blend them.
Toast the rice over high heat with 10 g of extra virgin olive oil, add the onion cream and cook with the white veal stock. Halfway through cooking, add the snails and leeks.
At the end of cooking, stir in the butter and Parmesan. Garnish the dish with a few whole snails and the parsley emulsion obtained by blending the remaining oil with the parsley. Enjoy your meal!
Alternative using the 320 g “Chiocciole al leeks in white” jar:
Prepare the onion cream and toast the rice as above. Halfway through cooking, add the contents of the jar.
At the end of cooking, stir in the butter and Parmesan.
