Snail-less-cargo – April Fools?

In case you’re wondering if I thought of the name first, and then developed the recipe, I think we both know the answer to that question. That said, I really thought I could pull it off.

The old cliché when it comes escargot is that it’s really just an excuse to eat garlic butter, and that the snail is just some sort of flavorless delivery system. Turns out that’s not the case. This suffered from a lack of meaty earthiness the escargot provides.

Like I said in video, if I make this again, I will caramelize the mushrooms in a pan, which I’m sure would help.  Or, maybe I’ll just use snails. Speaking of which, feel free to use this exact technique with actual escargot, as everything other than the mushroom was spot on. You can find those online, along with the other special items you’ll need, such as the shells, the pan, the tongs, and the forks.

So, whether you use mushrooms or snails, and please don’t use mushrooms, I really hope you give this classic French appetizer a try soon. No joke. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 40 shells:

20 large brown mushrooms, halved

3 cups water

few pieces of nori seaweed

1 teaspoon miso

1 tablespoon soy sauce

salt to taste
40 extra-large escargot shells

For the butter:

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

4-6 cloves finely minced garlic

1 tablespoon minced shallots

1/2 cup chopped parsley

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 or 2 teaspoons Pernod

- Bake at 450 F. for 10-12 minutes

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