Processing and preparation of grape snails. Preparation of grape snails at home

Preparation of grape snails does not take much time. But if you have never done this yourself, then you will have to make a good effort to have a really delicious and nutritious lunch.

General information

In a modern citizen of our country, grape snails (the recipe for cooking the dish will be presented later) are associated more with the sea or aquarium than with cooking. However, it should be noted that in many countries in Asia and Europe - this is an ordinary item in the menu of cafes and restaurants. Snails are bred on special farms, sold frozen or live.

The preparation of grape snails at home became fashionable only in the twentieth century. In those days, a dish using this product was considered a delicacy. Although now in Russia not everyone makes such a dinner to an ordinary family table. Snails are prepared only for big holidays and only if you really want to surprise your guests.

Product Benefits

Are grape snails useful? The way of preparation of this product is such that it retains practically all the nutritional components. It should be noted that meat of snails is very often recommended for those who are dieting. After all, in 100 grams of this product, only 90 calories, as well as 2-3% fat, 15% protein and no cholesterol. In addition, snails contain unsaturated fatty acids. They are rich in phosphorus, zinc, magnesium, calcium, potassium, copper, iron and vitamins of group B, A and E.

Fastest cooking

Rapid preparation of grape snails is especially popular with tourists who, at an unexpected meeting with these river animals, can diversify their diet in a matter of minutes. It often happens that for some reason the snails begin mass migration and crawl out onto the roads. For half an hour tourists are able to collect a few kilograms of a live product, and in a quarter of an hour to get a hearty and nutritious lunch.

Of course, the preparation of grape snails at home requires the use of special ingredients. But if such a dish is decided to be done outdoors, then one can manage with a modest set of products.

To make a delicious lunch, freshly caught river animals are thoroughly washed, and then laid on the lattice above the coals with holes up. At the same time, add a small pinch of table salt and pepper to each shell, and pour in a little sunflower oil or a piece of fat. In this form of grape snails bake for about ten minutes.

After the meat is cooked, it is peeled from the sink with a toothpick, separated from inedible elements and consumed with a slice of bread.

Cooking snails in boiling water

The preparation of grape snails in marching conditions may include the use of different types of heat treatment. If you do not want to bake them, then for this you should prepare several liters of boiling water. It immediately drops all snails and cooks about 3-5 minutes after boiling.

This procedure will allow you to quickly clear the snails from the existing mucus, and also greatly facilitate their extraction. After the meat is removed from the sink, it is cut, leaving only a meaty cephalopod. In the future, cooks are at their own discretion. Some of them continue cooking the product in salted boiling water with various vegetables, getting a full soup, and some frying it on fat or sunflower oil along with garlic and onions. In the latter case, you will get a very tasty snack, which resembles white meat or mushrooms.

Cleaning the product at home

How to prepare grape snails for cooking? If you have enough time, and there is a complete set of kitchen utensils, there are several options for how to make a delicacy from a river product. But for this, it should be properly cleaned.

To do this, some cooks withstand snails in a refrigerator in an empty saucepan for three to ten days, periodically washing them. Other housewives recommend leaving the product for a few days on bran, flour or such aromatic herbs as fennel and thyme. With this method, the snails will be cleaned on the third day and will acquire a natural flavor.

In the Mediterranean countries, live snails purchased in markets are not subjected to a purification procedure. This is due to the fact that on farms they are already being prepared for consumption. As for our country, unfortunately, such a product loses much of its taste without preliminary cleaning.

After completing the purification procedure, you should make sure that there are no dead snails among living snails. For this, they are put in water and those who have not shown any signs of life are removed.

After carrying out the described actions, the snails are boiled in boiling water right along with the shells, and then they are thoroughly washed. Only after this the product becomes suitable for culinary experiments.

Stew in Maltese

Processing and preparing grape snails at home is a quick and easy process. After the product has been cleaned, as well as scalded with boiling water, it is immediately used to create culinary delights.

So, to make a delicious dish in Maltese, we will need:

• Red wine dry - 1 glass;
• Blanched snails - about 500 g;
• Olive oil - 45 ml;
• Fresh mint, marjoram and basil - apply to taste;
• Pepper and salt - apply to taste.

Cooking process

How are grape snails stewed? The recipe for this dish requires the use of a saucepan. It poured in olive oil, and then spread out the previously processed snails. Slightly frying the product (right in the sinks), it is poured with red dry wine, and then salt, pepper and simmer on low heat for about ¼ hour.

Just before the plate is turned off, finely chopped greens are added to the sauté pan and all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed.

Serve ready snails in the sinks to the table preferably in a hot state, pre-watering them with the sauce remaining in the saucepan.

Fried snails in Cretan (with rosemary)

Preparation of grape snails at home takes you about ¼ hour. But this is only if you comply with all prescription requirements.

So, to make snails in Crete, you need to buy:

• Blanched snails prepared - not less than 500 g;
• Olive oil - about 100 ml;
• Wine vinegar - 2 large spoons;
• Rosemary - a large spoon;
• Salt cooked - add to taste.

Cooking method

Before frying snails, strongly heat a thick-walled frying pan, and then pour a thin layer of table salt. Further in the dishes spread the entire processed product with holes down and allow it to dry.

After all the excess moisture is gone, olive oil is poured into the snails, mixed and fried for 3-5 minutes. Then they add rosemary and wine vinegar to them. All ingredients are thoroughly hindered and removed from the fire.

Serve snails in the shells for dinner should only after they are bathed in oil, which roasted. Meat of river animals must be pulled with a toothpick. Before using it, always remove the dark tip.

Step-by-step recipe for grape snails at home

The most exquisite dish of grape snails is the French escargot dish. To do it at home, you do not need much time and effort.

So, the classic recipe for making grape snails involves the use of the following components:

• Canned grape snails - about 1 kg;
• Baguette fresh - 1 pc .;
• High quality butter - about 300 g;
• Garlic fresh - 1 head;
• Olive oil - about 30 ml;
• Lemon juice - apply to taste;
• Parsley, fresh herbs, salt - apply to taste.

How to cook?

Before the thermal processing of all snails, their meat is carefully removed from the shells, and then cleaned of inedible elements. Further it spread on a frying pan and fry for 3 minutes, using olive oil.

While the snails are fried, well washed and dried all the shells. Later they return heat-treated meat. After this, take the butter, cut it into small pieces and add crushed garlic cloves. Then lemon juice and finely chopped herbs, including parsley, are poured into the same dishes. All the ingredients are salted, peppered and ground with a blender. The resulting mass seal the shells, and then spread them on a dry baking tray with holes up.

Filling the sheet, it is sent to the oven. At a temperature of 240 degrees snails are cooked for 3 minutes (no more).

Correct feed to the dining table

Escargo is a very popular dish in Europe. To feed it to the dining table, even invented special devices: a metal tray with small cavities for shells (i.e., a scallop), tongs that allow to hold the shell, and also a fork with two long prongs, by means of which the contents are taken out.

In France, the escargot is served as a snack before dinner. As for Australia and the USA, in these countries this dish is considered the main one.

After the grape snails are heat-treated in the oven, they are laid out on a metal tray and presented to the table with tongs and a fork. Also, separately cut a fresh and crispy baguette, which is happy to eat a creamy-meat dish.