# Escargots **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 14, 2008, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/escargots/433432 "2008-01-14T00:44:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/escargots/433432/1 "2008-01-14T00:44:04Z")
Do I need a[special dish](http://www.amazon.com/Staub-Escargots-Dish/dp/B000RYLWME/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=kitchen&qid=1200271300&sr=1-9) to cook escargots? Or can I just make them in a small glass baking dish? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/escargots/433432/2 "2008-01-14T00:53:10Z")
I’ve never cooked them before myself, but I can’t believe you actually need a specialised (and so bloody expensive) dish for the job. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/escargots/433432/3 "2008-01-14T01:02:53Z")
Well, there’s [this one](http://www.amazon.com/BIA-Cordon-Bleu-Escargot-Dish/dp/B0000VLG8O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=kitchen&qid=1200272472&sr=1-1) for $7. It’s called a ‘serving dish’, but since it says it’s oven-safe I assume that means you can cook the snails in it. ---
**Author:** ![ZebraShaSha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/eada6e/32.png) [@ZebraShaSha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZebraShaSha)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/escargots/433432/4 "2008-01-14T01:17:22Z")
What the hell, is that for making escargot muffins? How exactly do you cook the bastards? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/escargots/433432/5 "2008-01-14T01:22:09Z")
I’ve had them in a restaurant served in a little dish like that, but I always assumed that was just for presentation. I’ve only ever seen them cooked in a manner similar to mussels - tossing them in a pan with sweated onions and garlic, plus herbs, wine, tomatoes etc. But maybe there are other ways. I’d have thought they would go tough if they’re baked. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/escargots/433432/6 "2008-01-14T01:31:50Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] I’ve had them in a restaurant served in a little dish like that, but I always assumed that was just for presentation. I’ve only ever seen them cooked in a manner similar to mussels - tossing them in a pan with sweated onions and garlic, plus herbs, wine, tomatoes etc. But maybe there are other ways. I’d have thought they would go tough if they’re baked. [/QUOTE] You seem to be right. The method I always use is this: Open the box of Trader Joe’s Escargots en Brioche. Put the brioches on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes or so. 😉 Only IMO there’s too much bread. I want to taste the snails. So I thought I might try making escargots ‘from scratch’. Upon further investigation I found [url=“[snail cooking](http://escargot.free.fr/eng/cooking.htm)”]this page\*. > [@](#): > > **Traditional cooking method** > > The escargot flesh is cooked in Court Bouillon. You put it in fresh Court-Bouillon and heat progressively up to simmer for about 60 to 90 minutes depending on the size of the individual escargot. > > Court- Bouillon : 1/2 liter of white wine for 1 liter of water in which we add parsley, thyme, laurel, onion, shallot, garlic, salt and pepper, clove, and other spices according to taste : anethum, mint, carrot… Quantities of each ingredient have to be test, it’s the personal touch ! (1 liter = 1/4 us gal ). > > Then escargot flesh is ready to be used in the recipes below or frozen. It goes on to say: > [@](#): > > In each empty shell, place a little of this butter. Then push a cooked escargot into the shell. Fill the remaining space in the shell completely and smoothly with butter. Usually 5 grams are used for a shell (a tea spoon). Put in the oven (200 °C or 390 °F) just enough time needed to melt the butter. Serve immediately in special plates with holes. (Snails are picked with a special little fork). So they are simmered in Court Bullion, then packed with butter (recipe on the page) into shells, and then served in a special plate. (Escargots I’ve had at restaurants did not have the shells. The snails were in the little pockets in the dish, each sitting upon an inverted mushroom cap, swimming in garlic butter, and surmounted by a little puff pasty.) ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/escargots/433432/7 "2008-01-14T01:37:43Z")
That seems like a heck of a long cooking time - compared to something like mussels, which are done in a couple of minutes, and overcooked if done longer. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/escargots/433432/8 "2008-01-14T01:41:56Z")
It does seem a long time. I guess the only thing is to try it out. (Incidentally, I _have_ had them in the shell at a restaurant. I don’t remember where, but I remember the shell tongs and fork.) ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/escargots/433432/9 "2008-01-14T02:02:24Z")
I believe, traditional [French Escargot Crockery](http://www.twenga.co.uk/offer/93406794.html) does have an advantage because it is a terracotta medium and cooks quickly and cleanly in high temperature commercial ovens, as well as retaining heat. Other than that they are just convenient. However, the escargot plate that you have linked to seems more decorative and modern and akin to a deviled egg platter. They were also good for restaurant use because whipped butter and garlic could be piped ar spooned quickly and in prep for a night. That restaurant, however, used canned, imported, fat snails without a shell (still quite good.). Just load them up like a six shooter with a snail and the butter, smear the face with a spatula of whipped garlic butter just like molding chocolate, scrape away the excess, cover with saran, put them in the fridge, cook to demand in a 475F oven for 10 minutes. Or if they’re room temp, use a salamander. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/escargots/433432/10 "2008-01-14T02:42:08Z")
But to answer your question… by all means, use a glass (pyrex) baking dish, that’s even more ideal. If I were doing it with pyrex, I might superheat the baking dish for some time in a high oven, remove to a flame or flattop and toss in the olive oil, butter, garlic, a splash of white wine or sherry and cook quickly tapas style. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/escargots/433432/11 "2008-01-14T03:05:38Z")
…and of course, toss in the snails ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/escargots/433432/12 "2008-01-14T04:42:35Z")
They also used their left over bread, ground to crumbs, as an ‘a la minute’ sprinkle for the canned, French, escargot in the crockery with garlic butter just before putting in the oven. I suppose it was actually escargot au gratin, in style… ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/escargots/433432/13 "2008-01-14T04:46:37Z")
That almost looks like a takoyaki pan. You could kill two birds…, uh, molluscs, with one stone.