The First Step To Mastering Canned Escargot

Escargot is a French delicacy served everywhere from casual brasseries to temples of haute gastronomy. The word "escargot" simply means "snail" in French. And while your garden variety, common in almost every backyard, sort of snail is escargot, you probably don't want to cook with them. It might also be a little difficult to procure fresh edible snails from the fish counter on your weekly grocery store run (though be on the lookout, New York state boasts its own escargot farm). There is another option: canned escargots. 

As long as the little snails are prepared properly, they're faster, easier, and some might say just as delicious, as the fresh snails that classic French recipes might have once demanded. Canned escargots are already cooked, so the first important step to take here is draining and then rinsing the snails. Once you've taken those measures, it's as easy as season, heat, and eat your delicious escargots.

Every type of tinned seafood — from imported tinned Spanish mussels to a familiar can of clams – are all at home at the dining table in any manner of preparations. Think of canned escargots much the same way, in that they need the right preparation, flavors, and cooking techniques to truly shine. Plain, canned escargots are most often packed in water with some various spices, aromatics, and salt. Rinsing the escargots makes sure that you control the salt content, the flavor profile, and that any slight stale taste of being canned is quickly rinsed away. 

Once the snails are drained and rinsed, the real fun begins. There are so many delicious ways to season and prepare escargots that the only limit seems to be one's imagination. Escargots, when prepared properly, are tender and resemble clams in texture. They have a mild taste and take on many flavors well.

A classic French preparation is to bake escargots with butter and garlic. They can be stuffed back in their shells and baked (it's possible to buy reusable escargot shells if your can of snails doesn't come with the shells). Alternatively, the meat may be put directly in special escargot trays that have small divots for the seasoned snails to be placed. 

If garlic and butter feels too mundane, don't let that hold you back: Top with bacon and breadcrumbs for an elevated take on clams casino, or add spicy chorizo. Go for any manner of local herbs pounded into a pesto with oil, garlic, and pine nuts or walnuts. Top the tender snail meat with little puff pastry hats to soak up the buttery sauce or serve with warm slices of baguette. The main thing with escargots is to celebrate their tender texture and delicate taste with rich, flavorful seasonings that deserve delicious carbohydrates alongside.