Snails, Sicilian Style
Submitted by Patty Firetto
Sicilian-style land snails boiled in salted water, then served hot with a cold dipping sauce of crushed garlic, olive oil, and fresh lemon juice. Simple, briny, and bright.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
25 minCOOK
10 minREADY
45 minIn Sicily, babbaluci (snails) are street food, sold from carts and eaten standing up with toothpicks and a squeeze of lemon.
This recipe keeps that spirit alive with a no-fuss approach: land snails get a thorough rinse, a quick simmer in heavily salted water, and then they’re served piping hot alongside a cold sauce of garlic pounded to a paste, good olive oil, and sharp lemon juice.
The contrast between the warm, tender snails and the bright, punchy dip is what makes this dish sing.
Kitchen Tips
- Remove the operculum first. That small membrane at the shell opening pops right off with a toothpick.
- Rinse three times in cold water (the second with plenty of salt) to get rid of all the slime before cooking.
- Bring to a boil slowly. Rushing the heat toughens the snails. A gentle simmer for six minutes is all you need.
- Crush the garlic with salt into a true paste using a mortar and pestle. This emulsifies into the oil and lemon for a smooth, cohesive sauce.
Ingredients
Directions
There is a small membrane, known as an operculum, at the opening of each snail.
Use a toothpick to remove this membrane and it will come off easily.
Place the snails in a basin and rinse thoroughly with cold water.
Drain and rinse once more in cold water that contains a generous amount of salt.
Rinse once more in cold water before cooking.
Add four quarts of cold water to a kettle and add the snails and about 3 tablespoons salt.
Bring slowly to a boil and simmer six minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, place the garlic and one teaspoon of salt in a small, heavy bowl.
Crush the garlic with a pestle or the back of a heavy spoon to make a paste.
Add the oil, pepper (to taste), lemon juice, and six tablespoons cold water.
Stir with a whisk to blend.
Drain the snails and serve hot with the sauce cold.
Note: To eat the snails, pull out the meat with a pick and dip them one at a time in the sauce.
The whole snail may be eaten, although the most fastidious prefer to skip the soft after end of the meat, which is the digestive tract.
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