Snail hunting in the vines

We were driving back from Angouleme today when we came across a snail hunter in the vines. Snail hunting is a fairly sedentary sport but you still need a keen eye if not a turn of speed. He had a galvanised metal keep net similar to something a coarse fisherman would keep his fish in, but it was made of wire and it was bulging. We stared at him and he smiled and stared at us, it would be considered discriminatory if you ignored someone in the countryside, whilst we admired his collection of unsuspecting molluscs.

We had a similar hunter outside our house one morning. His wire net almost full, I bumped into him in the orchard whilst taking Tilly for a walk. It seemed totally normal exchanging pleasantries as he extracted the still sleepy snails from their early morning measured occupations. Tilly looked disappointed as she is rather partial to an occasional snail when the fruit is all over and the walnuts have been gathered. On average a snail will live between 2 and 7 years in the wild, normally succumbing to predation. They have been known to live for 15 years in captivity so perhaps they initially view the hunter as a saviour before learning of their true fate.

Having lunch in the Coq D'Or restaurant in Cognac with friends here on holiday in the summer, I ordered fifty snails from the menu. Sounds a lot you might think but the only alternative was a hundred! They were not the large Bourgogne snails but the smaller Charentais ones or Cagouille. I had eaten enough at thirty two and it was only when I was relating the story to a friend later, I was advised that normally the plate would be shared amongst those sat at the table. It was no wonder the always very attentive waitress looked a little perplexed as she saw me manfully battling through them.

If you are intending to eat wild snails, it is very important to clean them properly first and there are different ways of doing this. We were on holiday many years ago, staying in a caravan with friends on the wind swept coast of Cornwall. Their method of purging the snails found on a coastal cliff walk was keeping them imprisoned in a Sainsbury's freezer bag under the caravan for three days. It seemed a good idea at the time, although in those days neither Sarah or I were keen to join in this culinary feast. Unfortunately, an intestinal tract only contains one thing and these snails still had an abundance of it when they were carefully taken from the bag and placed in the pan. I have never forgotten the smell of the all day vomiting, but strangely enough, I am happy to eat snails now, not necessarily fifty at a time though.  So a warning there, as a badly prepared snail can be truly poisonous.

They are readily available in the supermarkets in tins and a lot of recipes refer to tinned snails. But for the enthusiasts at the many snail fests in the villages across France at this time of year, only the wild ones will do and they are served on large trays in a bewildering range of recipes. Of course attending the festival as a non snail eater you could be concerned at being vilified by the enthusiasts but usually there will be alternative food on offer.

So dispelling the thought of the Cornish snails, perhaps a little recipe to tempt you out of your shell so to speak.  This recipe uses tinned snails and makes a tasty appetizer.

• 6 tablespoons softened butter
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped shallots
• 1 clove garlic, crushed and finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped celery
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 12 large mushrooms, cleaned with stems removed
• 12 large canned snails

Preparation:

Preheat an oven to 375F. Mix together 6 tablespoons of the softened butter with the shallots, garlic, celery, parsley, salt, and pepper. Place a small spoonful of herb butter and a snail in each mushroom cap, and then brush the exterior of the mushroom with a bit of the herb butter. Arrange the mushrooms in a shallow baking dish and bake them for 15 minutes. Serve hot. Serves six.

Whilst the consumption of snails is considered to be classically French they are in fact eaten all over the world. So next time you are out and see snails on the menu give them a try, and when you are eating them, cast a thought to that hardy bespectacled hunter with his wire keep net in the vines. It's a tough job, but.................

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