escargots au beurre d’ail

1 tablespoon (6 grams)  
parsley, finely minced

1 teaspoon (6 grams)  
shallot, finely minced

1 tablespoon (9 grams)  
garlic, finely minced

1/4 teaspoon (2 grams)  
salt

1/4 teaspoon (1 gram)  
freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tablespoon  
white wine

1 teaspoon  
cognac

dash  
nutmeg

6 tablespoons (90 grams)  
butter, softened

12  
escargots de Bourgogne

1. 
Pound parsley, shallot and garlic in a mortar into a paste. Combine with salt, pepper, wine, cognac, and nutmeg. Combine with butter. Alternately, place parsley, shallot, garlic, salt, pepper, wine, cognac, and nutmeg in the bowl of a mini-food processor and process until minced. Add butter and process to combine.

2. 
Preheat oven to 450° F.

3. 
Arrange snails in individual wells of escargot plates. Top each with 1/12 of the escargot butter. Bake for 9 minutes, or until snails are warm.

Yield: 2 servings.

Source: Jean-Pierre Silva, Hostellerie du Vieux Moulin, Bouilland, France, 1997.
©1999 Peter Hertzmann, Inc. All rights reserved.