Potatoes Stuffed with Snails
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Small new potatoes boiled till tender, scooped to hold a snail each. Butter whipped with cilantro, lime zest, lime juice, Tabasco, and chives for punch. Snail nestled in, butter dolloped to seal. Oven finish creates bubbling, sizzling, fragrant bites. Alt cooking time, freshness key. Flexible herbs, some swapped dill and parsley for a twist. Texture contrast potatoes and rich sea aroma from escargots. Savory, bright, spicy. A dish needing sharp knife, steady hand for scooping. Hot steam signals doneness. Patience on the butter mix. Messy, but worth it.
Prep:
25 min
Cook:
30 min
Total:
55 min
Servings:
24 servings
#French cuisine
#seafood
#herbs
#snails
#potatoes
Potatoes. Not just a side. Tiny new ones boiled till tender but still intact. Scoop out little spaces. Snails? Not your everyday bite but earthy, rich, a little wild. Butter—not plain. Whipped with fresh herbs, citrus zing, a kick of heat. Past tries—too much butter floods, hides the snail. Timing’s everything. I learned to watch for butter bubbling, that golden crust forming. Lime is a game changer, bright cutting through fat. Tabasco adds punch but don’t overdo it—a whisper. Scooping takes patience, don’t rip potato. Oven is a soft roar; steam rising, scents mingling. Texture contrast, biting into crispy edges, soft buttery center, surprise in every mouthful. Hope you dare.
Ingredients
- 24 small new potatoes, scrubbed
- 70 ml softened salted butter
- 50 ml chopped fresh cilantro
- Grated zest and juice of 1 lime
- Tabasco, to taste
- 45 ml chopped fresh chives
- Salt and pepper
- 24 canned escargots, rinsed and drained
About the ingredients
Potatoes should be uniform size for even cooking, choose new potatoes with thin skins—no peeling needed, just washing. Butter must be softened, not melted, to whip smoothly with herbs. Cilantro can be swapped with fresh parsley or dill if preferred, though it changes flavor profile. Lime zest and juice critical, don’t skip or replace blindly; lemon can work but alters brightness. Tabasco—or any chili sauce—adjust heat levels carefully. Escargots usually canned, well rinsed to remove preservatives and brine. If unavailable, coarse chopped sautéed mushrooms with garlic can mimic chewy texture with earthiness. Chives add delicate onion scent; green onions could substitute but tougher texture. Salt and pepper balance all flavors, add last. Preparing butter mix first helps bring flavors together. Store unused butter mixture covered in fridge, it firm but holds flavor.
Method
- Start by boiling potatoes in salted water till tender but firm. Tactile test with fork. Not mushy. Cool enough to handle but still warm.
- Using a melon baller or small spoon, hollow out small balls from each. Leave base stable by cutting a thin slice if rolling. Important or they tip during bake.
- Heat oven to 175 °C (350 °F).
- In a bowl, blend softened butter with cilantro, lime zest and juice, Tabasco, chives. Whisk till whip consistency, soft but holds shape. Salt and pepper well.
- Nestle one snail into each hollowed potato. Don’t squish, keep shape intact.
- Smear or pipe the herbed butter into cavity, covering snail fully. Pat down to seal and stop butter from leaking during bake.
- Place stuffed potatoes snug on a baking sheet. Leave space for heat circulation.
- Bake 10 to 12 minutes. Watch for butter to bubble and small brown spots on edges of potatoes. Aroma will shift—citrus-herb notes join the snail’s earthiness.
- Serve immediately, warn about hot butter. Knife tip to test firmness and bubbling butter inside.
- If no escargots, substitute cooked, chopped mushrooms with garlic for earthy substitute. If lime missing, lemon zest or a splash of white wine vinegar adds acidity.
- Leftovers reheat poorly, best fresh. Butter mixture can be made ahead, but add Tabasco just before filling or it can overwhelm.
- The butter mixture texture is crucial: too soft and it melts away, too firm and it won’t spread, splattering the oven.
Cooking tips
Boil potatoes whole in salted water. Test readiness by inserting a fork—it should meet resistance without crumbling. Cooling before scooping makes handling easier; hot potatoes will break. Use a melon baller or small spoon for scooping, gentle pressure to avoid tearing skin or base. Making the base stable with a thin slice ensures the potatoes won’t roll, crucial for even cooking. Oven temperature set medium to allow butter to melt slowly; too hot and butter separates and burns, too low and potatoes dry out. Whip butter and herbs into smooth consistency; it should hold shape yet spreadable. Filling potato cavity correctly is key—too little butter and snail dries, too much and it spills. Baking time is approximate; rely on visual clues—the butter should bubble slightly and potatoes show slight golden tinge or crisp edges. Aroma cues tell when flavors meld; citrus-herb notes signal readiness. Serve immediately; butter will re-solidify on cooling, losing charm. Leftovers reheat poorly; better to prepare fresh. Experimented with adding garlic in butter; strong flavor can overpower the snail, so used sparingly. Overall, patience with each step yields more satisfying bite.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Boil potatoes whole in salted water. Test tenderness with fork but keep firm. Overcooked means mushy, impossible to hollow. Cool enough before scooping, hot breaks skin, cold is harder to hollow.
- 💡 Use melon baller or tiny spoon for hollowing. Leave enough base to keep potato stable or slice thinly on bottom. Otherwise potatoes roll during bake, ruin presentation and uneven cooking.
- 💡 Whip softened butter, cilantro, lime zest and juice, Tabasco, chives till soft peaks form. Salt and pepper well. Butter must not be melted or it won’t whip well. Texture critical to fill cavity without leaking.
- 💡 Nestle one snail each, don’t squish or compress. Cover with herbed butter, pat down firmly to seal. Butter stops snail drying and leaking. Overfill butter and it drips and burns in oven.
- 💡 Bake at moderate 175 °C. Hot fast oven breaks butter apart; low heat dries potatoes. Watch closely for subtle bubbles around edges, tiny brown spots on potato rims signal doneness.
- 💡 Aroma has citrus-herb notes with snail’s earthiness when ready. No smell means underbaked; burned smell means too long. Butter bubbling is your timer, watch it shift from quiet melting to gentle boil.
- 💡 Substitute mushrooms cooked with garlic if no escargots. Texture different but earthy flavor close. Lime can be lemon zest or white wine vinegar splash but brightness changes, adjust Tabasco accordingly.
- 💡 Butter mix keeps in fridge but stiffens. Bring back to soft but not melted before filling. Add Tabasco last to avoid overwhelming heat. Leftovers reheat poorly; best eaten fresh for crisp edges and bubbling center.
Common questions
Can I use other snails or substitutes?
Yes canned escargots best but if not use sauteed chopped mushrooms with garlic. Different texture but close earthiness. Fresh snails need cleaning, long prep.
How to know potatoes are ready for hollowing?
Fork test tells softness but still firm. Overcooked means breaks apart when scooped. Cool potatoes before scoop; hot breaks skin and base.
What if butter leaks in oven?
Too soft butter or overfilled cavity. Whip till holds shape but spreadable. Pat butter down to seal snail and stop leaking. Oven too hot dries or burns butter too.
Can leftovers be stored and reheated?
Not great reheated, edges get soggy or dry. Store butter mix covered separately in fridge for few days. Prepare fresh, fill just before oven for best texture.
