Chicken and Snail Paella

I knew I was going to have to change a paella recipe as there weren't many out there for paella with snails in or they had a rabbit in too and those that I could find were American and I couldn't be bothered to convert. So I used a Jamie recipe for a relatively quick paella, most other took upwards of an hour and went from there. I changed the recipe quite a lot but it still came out rather tasty, lightly spiced full of veggies.

Chicken and Snail Paella (adapted from Jamie Oliver)

(Serves 6)

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, diced
handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
70g snails
4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, roughly chopped
1 tbsp oil
1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika

1/2 tsp hot paprika

1 red pepper
1 tablespoon tomato purée
1 cube chicken stock
300g paella rice
100g frozen peas
100g green beans, chopped in half
1 lemon

Pour the  oil into a large lidded shallow casserole or paella pan on a medium heat, add the garlic, onion, carrot, parsley stalks, chicken and paprikas, and fry for around 5 mins, stirring regularly. Deseed and chop the pepper, then add with the snails to the pan for a further 5 mins.

Stir through the tomato purée and crumble in the stock cube, then add the rice and stir for a couple of mins. Pour in 750ml of boiling water and add a pinch of salt and pepper. Put the lid on and bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer for 15 mins, stirring regularly from the outside in and from the inside out, and adding a splash of water if needed. Stir in the peas and beans, replace the lid, and cook for a further 5 mins, or until hot. Season, scatter the parsley leaves over the paella, and serve with lemon wedges on the side for squeezing over.

Snail and Bacon Quiche

When I was in Picardie in April, we visited a snail farm and I bought some proper French snails. They've been sat in my shelf ever since and I finally got around to using them. When I was there I had a chat with the lady who ran the snail farm and she said to make a quiche out of the snails, adding bacon and cheese, so I followed what I could remember of her instructions, it was delicious, I gave one to my neighbour and she enjoyed it too.

Snail and Bacon Quiche

(Makes 1 20cm quiche)

110g plain flour

25g lard

25g butter

pinch salt

cold water

4 rashers bacon, cooked

10 snails, chopped

75g cheddar cheese

2 eggs, beaten

275ml milk

salt and pepper

Add flour and butter to a mixing bowl, using a knife cut the butter into the flour. Then using your fingertips rub in the butter until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the salt and water, then quickly knead the dough, just until it comes together. Pop in the fridge for an hour to chill.

Heat the oven to 180C.

Roll out the pastry and line a 20cm tin with it. Prick the base with a fork, line with greaseproof paper and put baking beans on top. Bake the pastry case for 15 mins then remove from the oven and pain with a little beaten egg, and pop back into the oven for 5 more mins.

Meanwhile, beat together the egg and milk and mix in 2/3rds of the cheese and the salt and pepper.

Take the pastry case out of the oven and scatter the bacon and snails in the base. Pour the egg and milk mixture over the top of the bacon and snails. Sprinkle over the rest of the cheese and put back into the oven for 30-40 mins until the quiche is set in the centre and has turned golden brown.

Snails with Garlic Breadcrumbs

My sister made some garlic mushrooms for canapes on New Years Eve and left behind some of the garlic butter, which I froze. I thought it would go perfectly with some snails and I was right. The butter doesn't melt as much as the normal garlic and parsley butter that goes with snails but you get the lovely garlic taste and it's a bit less messy. I do have a snail fork so getting them out of the shells wasn't a problem but I didn't have the holder so I had to hold them with an oven glove to eat them! Still well worth it!



Snails with Garlic breadcrumbs
(Serves 2)

12 snail shells
12 snails
100g butter
2 cloves garlic, crushed
small handful breadcrumbs

Preheat the oven to 190C.

Soften the butter and mix with the breadcrumbs and garlic.

Put the snails into the shells and spoon some of the butter on top and put into either a snail plate or on a baking sheet

Place the snails into the oven and cook until the butter melts or they go golden brown on top. Serve.

Snail Pasta

I love snails and this is one of the simplest recipes with snails that I have come up with. I always buy about 5 dozen in a tin and then try and find quick ideas to use them up. They are fantastic with pasta and a tomato sauce.

Snail Pasta

(Serves 1)

10 snails

1 cup tomato sauce, something like Good Food's Tomato and Basil Sauce

enough pasta for one person

Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet.

Make a quick tomato sauce, for the last five minutes of cooking the tomato sauce, add in the snails. If you are just reheating the sauce, add the snails to the sauce and heat up.

Drain the pasta and add to the tomato sauce, serve.

Linguine with Snails, Sorrel, Tomato and Courgette

Another courgette recipe! I hope you're not getting bored of them yet, there's plenty more to come. I have so many of them! I bought a couple of tins of snails when I went to France last year as I really love them in the shells with parsley and garlic butter, but you get about 5 or 6 dozen in each tin so I have to find some alternative things to do with them. I also have a pot of sorrel which keeps reseeding itself. I haven't planted any since last year and it's still going strong, it adds a lovely flavour to this dish.

This was really easy to make, and very tasty as well. I am entering this into this week's Presto Pasta Nights hosted by Ruth of Once Upon a Feast. Check out her blog on Friday for the round up.



Linguine with Snails, Sorrel, Tomato and Courgette
(Serves 4)

24 snails (6 per person)
3 small zucchini
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 bunch of sorrel
1 punnet cherry tomatoes
pinch of saffron
Zest of one lemon

Cook the pasta according to packet instructions.

Put the saffron in a small bowl with a couple of tablespoons of boiling water.

Cut strips of courgette with a vegetable peeler. Sauté the strips of courgette in oil with a punnet of cherry tomatoes and crushed garlic. Put the saffron, snails and sorrel in cook for a couple of minutes. Season to taste, adding lemon zest.

Drain the pasta and toss though the snails and sorrel sauce. Serve.