Hello Blissful readers! Here’s a Burgundian classic that is lovely any time of year. After all, how can you say no to French butter, garlic and fresh parsley. Be sure to source high-quality snails that are preserved in a brine and store-bought shells to make this timeless French classic. If you are living outside of France, you can find escargot and shells in a specialty food shop or send us an email at info@thecooksatelier and we’ll send you some.

This is such a simple recipe and very festive. Here at The Cook’s Atelier we like to serve them as individual servings, in tiny copper saucepans. We may be a little old-fashioned here, but we prefer to chop the parsley, garlic and shallots by hand, using our vintage mezzaluna. We have a few of these in stock at The French Larder at The Cook’s Atelier. We think they make the perfect holiday gift for your very favorite cook.

For our selection of vintage mezzalunas, visit our online shop here.

Enjoy!

Escargots à la Bourguignonne

Serves 4

Ingredients:

24 escargot shells

24 snails

3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 bunch of Italian flat-leaf parsley, leaves only

3 large garlic cloves

3 shallots

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Burgundian Chardonnay (1 teaspoon per shell)

Baguette for serving

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Rinse the snails in cold water, drain and set aside.

On a large chopping board, place the parsley leaves garlic and shallots together on the work surface. Using a mezzaluna, finely chop until combined. Place the butter in a medium size bowl. Add the chopped parsley mixture and stir until thoroughly combined. Season with salt, pepper and freshly grated nutmeg.

Place one teaspoon of Burgundian Chardonnay in each shell along with a single snail. Using a teaspoon, add the butter mixture, as much as you can get in each shell. If you have any extra butter, distribute it evenly between the individual portions. Place the finished shells in an escargot pan, butter side facing up, and put into a 450 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes until the butter is bubbling.

To serve, use small forks to pull the snails from the shells and serve with crusty baguette slices for soaking up the herbed, garlic butter.

We wish all of you a Joyous Noël and enjoy your festivities in the kitchen and around the table with family and friends.

Happy Holidays!

Marjorie et Kendall
THE COOK’S ATELIER