Escargots
From ArticleWorld
Escargots are cooked lands snails that are a French cuisine. They are usually served as an appetizer and during festive occasions. Escargot is the French word for snails, and both can be used to order this in most Commonwealth countries throughout the world.
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Escargots as a whole
Among the species of snails in the world, only about one hundred and sixteen are edible in this manner. Each species that is prepared as escargot has a different flavor and even a different texture. So not all snails can be prepared as escargot, and there are two that are the most common in France for this appetizer.
Purging
In order to prepare the snails for this dish, they must have their digestive tracts purged. This is due to the fact that snails are scavengers and eat soil, decayed matter, and numerous forms of vegetation. These contents that are still in their digestive tracts can be toxic to humans and must be removed before the snails can be prepared as escargot.
This process is done in one of two ways are farm raised facilities. The first is to flat out starve the snails and let the matter pass through their digestive tracts normally which can tack up to a week. The second means is by feeding the cereal that has been crushed and ground so that the snails can consume them and this will push out the older matter in place of the newer.
Preparing the dish
Normally, the snail is carefully removed from the shell. This is done without damaging the shell itself. The snails are effectively gutted, cooked in butter or garlic butter. They are then poured back into their shells along with the butter sauce for serving. This is all done without damaging the shells, as they are the little containers that the appetizer is served in. These are then placed on a special place that has depressions the shape of the snail shells so that the contents will not spill out.
Special utensils
In order to properly eat escargot, there are two utensils that must be used. One is a specialized set of snail tongs that are used for holding the shell without damaging it. The second is a type of fork that is commonly referred to as a snail fork, which is used to remove the meat from the shell. These are normally provided with the dish when it is served.