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Sautéed snails in olive oil

Sautéed snails in olive oil

Main dishes

Escargots, pre-cooked, then sautéed in olive oil, flambéed with cognac, and coated in breadcrumbs: a Basque dish served with aïoli or tomato sauce.

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Recipe from Gaztarrotz, Xabier Cañas (Wikibooks), adapted by Recette de cuisine ·

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This Basque recipe requires patience: the snails need to be purged for fifteen days before being cooked in salt, then sautéed in hot olive oil. They are then flambéed with cognac and coated in breadcrumbs, and served with aïoli or a tomato sauce with a kick.

Ingredients and directions

  • Prep time40 min
  • Cook time30 min
  • Resting360 hr
  • Total361 hr 10 min
  • DifficultyHard
  • CostPricey
  • Cooking methodStir-fried
  • Estimated cost$83.78 $20.95 / serving Estimated price; varies by store. Converted from euros at the ECB rate of October 7, 2026.

Ingredients

4 people
  • $75.84
  • $0.04
  • $1.60
  • $5.56
  • $0.44
  • $0.30

Prices from US supermarkets for 4 of 6 ingredients; Belgian prices for the rest.

Directions

  1. Select live snails with a hard, undamaged shell. ≈ 3 min
  2. Keep them in a mesh bag for 15 days to allow them to mature. ≈ 3 min
  3. After this time, remove the dry membrane from the opening with a pin, then cover each snail with salt. ≈ 3 min
  4. Let them sit for a few minutes to allow any impurities to be released, then wash them thoroughly with cold water. ≈ 2 min
  5. Heat the oil in a large saucepan.
  6. When it’s very hot, add the snails and season generously with salt. ≈ 2 min
  7. Cook over high heat until the liquid has completely evaporated.
  8. Continue cooking over medium heat for about 20 minutes.
  9. Garnish with cognac. ≈ 3 min
  10. Add the bread crumbs. ≈ 3 min
  11. Mix carefully until the breadcrumbs coat the escargots evenly. ≈ 4 min
  12. Serve with aïoli or a slightly spicy tomato sauce. ≈ 2 min

The bill

Sautéed snails in olive oil

  • 1 kilogram of snails$75.84
  • salt$0.04
  • 200 ml of extra virgin olive oil$1.60
  • 150 ml of cognac$5.56
  • 150 g of breadcrumbs$0.44
  • Aioli or a slightly spicy tomato sauce$0.30

Total$83.78

that's $20.95 per person

Estimated price; varies by store.

Equipment

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Before you start

Ingredients

  • 1 kilogram of snails
  • salt
  • 200 ml of extra virgin olive oil
  • 150 ml of cognac
  • 150 g of breadcrumbs
  • Aioli or a slightly spicy tomato sauce

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