Escargots de Bourgogne

Prep Time: 1½ Hours
Yields: 4 Servings

Comment:
This recipe, borrowed from Thomas Keller, Chef of Bouchon and French Laundry, is a classic preparation of snails served all over Europe. Be sure to serve with lots of crusty French bread to soak up the butter.

Ingredients:
24 large, top quality, canned snails, drained
24 snail shells
4-5 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
2 tsps kosher salt
8 ounces unsalted butter at room temperature
½ cup finely minced Italian parsley
½ cup finely minced chives
2 tbsps minced shallots
pinch of freshly grated black pepper
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp Pernod

Method:
On a cutting board, mince the garlic and salt together and crush with the blade of a knife to make a paste. In a large bowl, cream together butter and garlic paste. Add the parsley, chives, shallots, lemon juice and Pernod and mix well. Use a spatula to ensure all ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the butter. Place a snail in each shell and using a pastry bag, pipe in 2 teaspoons of butter. Refrigerate for at least an hour or up to 12 hours. Preheat oven to 450º F. Arrange shells in small snail dishes or other ovenproof serving dishes. Bake 5-8 minutes or until butter is bubbly.