Appetizers · By James
Escargot in Mediterranean Cream
A wonderful family vacation to the Okanagan Lake Resort near Kelowna in 1999 was a gourmet treat for the family. Joc and Cam were young, but their palates had always been adventurous, thankfully. An appetizer that we had at the resort restaurant garnered such acclaim from the whole family that I asked to speak with the chef, and he gave me the details of this escargot recipe. We immediately reproduced it at home. For a long time, whenever a special appetizer was called for, Cam and Joc asked for this.
Ingredients
- 1½ sticks (¼ lb sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 large shallots or ½ red onion, diced
- 2 cans escargot (medium size — 36–42 in a 200 g tin), drained and rinsed thoroughly
- 1–1½ cups julienned sundried tomatoes in oil, drained
- 10+ large leaves fresh basil, chopped
- 1½ cups dry white wine or vermouth
- 1½ cups whipping cream
- Juice of ¼ lemon
- Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
- Focaccia bread, or a good crusty rustic loaf, for serving (2 very different options, both great!)
Method
- 1
Sauté ½ stick of butter, shallots and garlic until translucent.
- 2
Add drained escargot and sundried tomatoes and stir just until warmed through (do not cook).
- 3
Put the mixture into a covered baking dish and keep warm in oven.
- 4
Add basil to sauté pan and deglaze pan with white wine, allowing wine to reduce by ⅔.
- 5
Add cream to pan, stirring until reduced by about a third and thickened.
- 6
Remove from heat and add remaining stick of butter (add cubes, stir until melted).
- 7
Salt and pepper to taste, add lemon juice, and then add escargot mixture to this cream sauce.
- 8
May be served in a big dish, from which people serve themselves, or spooned into individual dishes (with about 10–15 escargot). Serve with slices of focaccia bread or other coarse Mediterranean bread.
- 9
May be garnished with some additional basil, if desired.
A note from James
Drink/wine pairing: a Chardonnay is perfect, and sparkling wine also.
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